Spare Parts Thearte
30 April 2008
Fairfax Studio, the Arts Centre
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre began
developing their adaptation of Sean Tan’s The
Arrival at the same time as Tan was finishing his award-winning graphic
novel of the same name. This parallel production is mesmerising and beautiful.
The complexity of the book is simplified, but it stays true to Tan’s remarkable
story about immigration.
The emotions and confusion
surrounding immigration resonate deeply when we live in a country where so many
of us came from somewhere else. What makes this story so powerful is its
universal emotional reach. The Arrival is
not just about coming to a new strange land; it’s about being an outsider,
learning to communicate and searching for friendship and acceptance.
Like the book, Spare Parts’
production communicates without words. Three puppeteers/performers work with
the puppet characters. At first it feels strange to see blue, yellow and any
colour after the blacks, whites, greys and sepias of Tan’s illustrations, but
the colour brings a new level of characterisation, communication and
interpretation to the incredible creatures.
The most unique and astonishing aspect
of this production is Michael Barlow’s animation. Still and moving images are projected
onto the white set. Tan’s still illustration is already so alive that even the
thought of movement is superfluous. Barlow chose few images and simplified them
to make them move. His animation evokes the mood, intensity and ultimate
freedom of the book, and makes the movement feel fluid and natural. We see the
dragon tails undulating though the city and the animated time passing flower is
stunning.
This review appeared on AussieTheatre.com
