Melbourne Reviews

What is Echo? Is it a metaphor for our existence, the endless bounce of noise that reverberates around the world in a quieter and quieter hum but can never be silenced? Or is it simply the name of playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s pet dog?

In this instance, Echo, or Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen, is a unique theatre experience that walks the line between suspended disbelief and technological trickery to great effect. From the quirky device of having a different actor perform an unseen script to a crowd of audience members on the edge of their seats, to never knowing whether Soleimanpour is in the building, online in his flat in Berlin, or somewhere else entirely gives it all an eerie and strange atmosphere.

The actor in the hot seat that is a cold read during the performance I attended was Ben Lawson. Slightly off balance, Lawson quickly adapted to the bizarre setting, following the directions given to him via an earpiece and through instruction on the screen by Soleimanpour.

It’s a true test of a performer to hold the space as Lawson does, especially when given Soleimanpour’s text to read from the screens or the single laptop on top of a desk that makes up most of the set.

There is, however, a rug from Soleimanpour, one he has taken across the world, an item imbued with so much history, emotion, and depth it could be a character all on its own. As Lawson acts as Soleimanpour’s representative, the two weave a tale of epic adventures, easy monotony, war, fear, love, family, and connection that binds us from person to place.

Echo plays with the idea of storytelling and of live theatre. The story is autobiographical and adds another layer of emotion. Most of all, due to the secrecy of the production, the advancements of technology and expertly executed visuals and sound design, and the quality of the performer, Echo is not only entirely unique, it is completely authentic.

Seeing a script performed for the first time is one thing, but seeing an actor react to that script in real time for the first time is an entirely different experience all together. It’s the kind of production you could return to time and time again, watching each cast bring something new to Soleimanpour’s story and creating their own unique echo.