Something has happened to the delinquent children of Red Herring Street. They have been kidnapped, fed little green pills and turned into zombies within a week. Agnes Eaves goes looking for her daughter Eavie and finds an unlikely ally in The Caretaker. This gothic gent has a wonderfully self-deprecating sense of humour remarking that people give him the kind of pitiful smiles usually reserved for three legged dogs. We found ourselves in a dark fantasy world, similar to the film City of Lost Children.
In The Animals and Children Took to The Streets, the 1927 performance company create an onstage world that is almost entirely animated by projecting it onto three large screens. The performers weave and integrate their way around these screens, popping out of windows and holding up umbrellas for virtual rain drops to fall on. All performers have white painted faces and frequently break out into cabaret numbers. They stay within the set the whole time, not even coming on stage for their final bows.
Formed in 2008, 1927 are an English performance company foundered by animator/filmmaker, Paul Bill Barritt and writer Suzanne Andrade with a view to finding unique ways to combine live music, performance and film. Their name refers to their liking for reviving old art forms, such as silent film and cabaret. They return for more after their collection of plays, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, played at the Opera House in 2008.
The animation is projected with crystal clarity and is an absolute delight. The muddy browns resemble colours used by Shaun Tan in his picture book, The Arrival which was brilliantly put to music at The Opera House during the Graphic comic book festival early this year. Barritt has created such a captivating world that the brief absences of performers on stage are hardly noticed.
This detailed and bizarrely drawn world cries out for an absorbing tale that fully engages the audience. Unfortunately, Andrade’s script has too many scenes which are are merely an excuse to show off the interaction between the performers and the animation.
The lack of story robs the audience of a truly great night of theatre. Even so there is much to enjoy here. It’s not often you’ll read a theatre review recommending a show for the animation.
1927 presents
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets
Venue: The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Dates: 20 – 6 November, 2010
Times: 8.15pm (Wed - Sat), 5.30pm (Sun) and 7pm (Tue)
Duration: 90mins
Tickets: $49 - $30
Bookings: 02 9250 7777 | www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Malthouse Theatre Melbourne - 9-28 November
Sydney Reviews
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets | 1927
- Details
- Ashley Walker
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