No Show
4 October 2012
Somewhere in North Melbourne
to 15 October
melbournefringe.com.au
I can't talk about The Seance, but I was there.
An intimate group of about 10 meet outside the North Melbourne Town Hall. Welcomed by our host, we chat and hear disturbing stories about the area's past and hope that we're not being taken to the old asylum.
We also promise to keep our location secret. The Fringe don't know where we go and those who have been there know that breaking a promise made in the dark isn't worth the risk.
I can say that it really is a candle-lit seance with a glass and Yes and No questions, that it guarantees a case of the heeby geebies, that you have to book because the space is intimate, and that you HAVE to book because this is one of those shows that people will talk about and you'll be thrilled to say, "I was there".
New Melbourne company No Show believe in reaching to the other side of the stage and bringing their audience into the experience. By being an active part of the ritual, we share and create the nervousness, fear and joy experienced by performers. You're not asked to perform or embarrass yourself, just to take part. And note that there's a bit of walking and sitting on the floor.
The Seance combines performance, ritual, obsession, celebrity, fear and the unknown to create art: brilliant and welcoming art that explores beyond the obvious, that laughs at itself, that rejects any idea of boring and finds strength in a plastic pony.
If you're open to exploring the unknown: go.
If you're scared: take a deep breath and go.
If you believe the dead are with us: go.
If you don't believe: go.
If you're dead: you can go for free.
Hang on, I went for free! ... fuck. I read a dead girl's letter, the medium spoke to me, I spoke to people – I can't remember if they spoke back. What's that light? Sophie ... ?
This was on AussieTheatre.com
