Sydney Reviews

Photos – Lorna Sim Photography

Eliza Sanders is the creator and sole performer in Pedal and she is extraordinary. It is like she is a direct conduit to an ancient and playful creative spirit. The performance is a patchwork of spoken word, dance, song and a plethora of sounds, all woven together with a thread of inspired genius. Using only a jumper and her body Sanders creates shapes that rattle your cerebellum. The script is more like a transcript of a word association game played by a group of unhinged friends driving back from Burning Man in Nevada.  

Sanders performance refuses to give you anywhere to hang a breath of logic or narrative. The mind will at first desperately seek a place to anchor, it will fight to find a story, any kind of flow. But it is a fight it will never win. Pedal won’t even engage in discussion let alone a wrestling match with your wits and you will be left with your gloves dangling by your side and your mind wide open. Sanders herself repels definition. She does not write about her work and she is reluctant to return to the stage for an encore.

Sanders has a complete lack of guile as she moves between lucidity and lunacy and back again. This creates a canvas for the audience to come to terms with what they are seeing and hearing and create their own meaning and interpretations of the work. It is by no means an absence of personality or presence but more like an ability to weave herself into the work as an offering, another element for you to take as it is.

The staging and props for Pedal are minimum and they seem to be perfect for every moment yet have no meaning at all. Sanders costume acts like another layer of skin, albeit a more dynamic and transformative layer. The shapes she creates using her limbs and threads that are captivating and provocative.

Pedal is hard to explain, impossible to define and unlike anything you have seen before. It is a physically lyrical performance that is innovative, bold and truly spectacular. It should not be missed and Sanders performances should be sought out at every opportunity.


House of Sand presents
PEDAL
Creator Eliza Sanders

Director Charles Sanders

Venue: Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza St Newtown NSW
Dates: 20 – 24 Sept 2016 (note: alternates with CASTLES: Pedal – Tues & Thur 7pm, Sat 6pm; Castles – Wed, Fri, Sat 7pm)
Tickets: $25 – $18 ($18/$15 each for double bill)
Bookings: www.houseofsand.org

Part of the 2016 Sydney Fringe