MELBOURNE FESTIVAL: War and Peace

Melbourne Festival
War and Peace 
Gob Squad
19 October 2016
Merlyn Theatre
to 20 October 2016
www.festival.melbourne
malthousetheatre.com.au

War and Peace in Berlin. Photo by David Baltzer

War and Peace: I know people who've read it. Only about 20 members of the audience had read it. I've thought about reading it. Gob Squad's production hasn't got me any closer.

Gob Squad were last in Melbourne in 2012 at the Melbourne Festival with the their remarkable co-production with Campo Before Your Very Eyes. Formed in 1994, the seven-member company are based in Berlin and say that they work "where theatre meets art, media and read life".

Gob Squad

War and Peace doesn't try to explain Tolstoy's 1869 novel, about Russia during the Napoleonic Wars from 1805 to 1812. They know that it's something that you need to experience for yourself in order to understand it – which might well be the point of Tolstoy's novel about war.

With three screens, a table set with delicate snacks and wine, and a gazebo (or war tent) that looks like it belongs in a backyard wedding, the show begins as the audience trickle in and the performers – Tatiana Saphir, Sharon Smith, Bastian Trost and Simon, who are dressed in beige-gold 19th century frocks without skirts, contemporary chunky-soled boots and supportive tights – meet and introduce members of the audience from the stage.

Three willing audience members remain to take part in an on-stage salon where they talk non-confrontational politics and art. Our three were Pier Cathew, Iain Grandage and Sarah (who was reviewing and I'll link it here as soon as I find it). The salon members talk with the performers and sections of each chat are broadcast on the screens, while the others are kept secret.

Watching people think on the spot is fascinating, but the conversations are controlled enough by the performers to be easily forgotten.

As the performance develops away from the salon, the likeable ensemble get deeper into the ideas of the novel by becoming more ridiculously flippant, like Tolstoy's history of dance with a rainbow ribbon. As they can't begin to understand living in world always at war, they explore the ideas of identifying with something – anything or anyone – in the book.

They get closer to being reflective when they talk about their grandparents who lived through the Second World War, but then pull further away because it still doesn't get close to understanding. Maybe a fashion parade of characters is more respectful than trying to reflect on the magnitude of War and Peace.

Being in the theatre with Gob Squad is an absolute pleasure – the parts that make up War an Peace are delightfully funny – but I don't think that's what they are trying to do. Or perhaps the sum of the parts isn't meant to be stronger as a whole. Perhaps I need to read War and Peace.

Melbourne Festival: Before Your Very Eyes

Melbourne Festival 2012
Before Your Very Eyes
CAMPO/Gob Squad
24 October 2012
Merlyn Theatre, The Malthouse
to 27 October
melbournefestival.com.au

Seven 10- to 15-year-olds perform and play in a box made of two-way mirrors with a camera in the corner. They do what a disembodied voice tells them to do. We watch; they can't see us.  It's not as creepy as it sounds and gives children something rare: a voice equal to adults.

CAMPO (formerly Victoria) are from Ghent in Belgium. Every time I see something from this city, I want to go there. Before Your Very Eyes is the third and final in a series of works for adults performed by children. The second was That Night Follows Day, which was directed by Forced Entertainment's Tim Etchells and seen at the 2008 Melbourne Festival.  This is a co-production with Gob Squad, a collection of UK and German artists.

The project started with a group of 7 to 12 year olds in 2009. Over the years the children were recorded improvising and interviewing themselves on camera, and the footage is incorporated into the the production, which was first seen in early 2011. A year is a long time as a child; what you loved at 10 can be shameful by 11. This show lets the older child talk to their younger self.

The children are asked to live their lives out for us, so they grow beyond their three recorded years. The transition to 19 feels like dress ups with cigarettes and the idea of what being an adult is, but the mood changes as the children are asked questions by their younger selves. How do you tell your 10-year-old self that you lost their favourite toy?

As they hit their 40s, their reflection of the I-could-have and the I'm-really-not-special ages lies between uncanny and disturbing. It's odd to recognise yourself being played by a teenager. Yep, that's how we begin to dress and I'm trying to remember a party without homemade sushi, a discussion about wine and someone dancing badly in the corner.  And they continue talking with their younger selves. Would 15-year-old you be proud of who you are today? Mine would like my hair and my friends, but that's about it. 

This beautiful and fascinating work takes the children through to their deaths. Their lives are not special, we don't know what they did, we just watched them live and die. 

As Etchells's piece confronted the view children have of adult power, Gob Squad let children show us what they think of growing up. As "kids" are bundled into a generic lump, so kids bundle 19, 40 and 80 year olds. Maybe we are always only acting our age.

This was on AussieTheatre.com

Last Melbourne Festival weekend: what to do?

There's only two more days to hang out at the Festival Hub and rush to see the exhibitions that you swore you'd make time for – and see shows that finish tomorrow!

I've been very lucky to have been a date for some shows, but will also do a review catch up as soon as I'm not sitting in or climbing through a show. (I so want to find time to go back to Hold.)  And really, sitting and talking with friends and strangers after a show is so much better for you than reading a review.

Or go to the Twitter #melbfest for a quicker read.

The House of Dreaming 
Arena Theatre Company
finishes Saturday 27 October

I didn't want to leave The House of Dreaming and neither did my artistic advisor, five-year-old Scout.

This giant doll house is as close to walking into a storybook as possible with dressing up, stories, magic and wow! in every room.

Every child deserves to go (designed for 5 and up).

review

We're Gonna Die
Young Jean Lee's Theater Company
finishes Saturday 27 October

There's been far too many empty seats at We're Gonna Die.

Come on Melbourne, you will LOVE this adorable show that's not at all theatrey, a little bit hipstery and likely to make you cry (for yourself, in a good way) and sing.  It's honest, full of heart and adorable.

Young Jean Lee is the artist I won't forget from this festival (and Nilaja Sun) and I now want to see everything else she's created.

Here's a chat with her.

Before Your Very Eyes
CAMPO/Gob Squad
finishes Saturday 27 October

If you saw and loved That Night Follows Day at the 2008 Melbourne Festival, Before Your Very Eyes is the third and final work in Belgium company CAMPO's series of works performed by children for adults. CAMPO changed their name from Victoria, which is why I didn't tweak until I was at the show. 

Developed over a number of years, seven children play/perform in a box made of two-way mirrors. They grow and die. It's not as creepy as it sounds; it's beautiful and fascinating – and to see a tween express everything about being 45 was unforgettable.


Slips Inside
Okidok
finishes Friday 26 October

I haven't seen this, but it looks like it's so much fun – and it's on at the Festival Hub.

And here's a chat with clown Xavier Bouvier where he says that art "makes life more beautiful".

An Enemy of the People
Schaubühne Berlin
finishes Saturday 27 October

This is the show that theatrey types are raving about. I loved it, but I get why some people huffed out.

See it before your read reviews in fear of spoilers, but for after, here's Alison's and Cameron's.

Orlando
The Rabble
finishes Saturday 27 October

Orlando has been sold out for days;  if have a ticket, don't you dare waste it.

La Soiree
finishes 18 November

It's La Clique in Melbourne's most gorgeous theatre. There's bath boy David O'Mer, glorious Ursula Martinez, scrumptious Le Gateau Chocolate, super delightful Jess Love, bendy beyond belief Captain Frodo, the wonderful Wau Wau Sisters and guests galore.

Impossible not to love!


And please try to do Hold and/or Impasse at the Meat Market and Arts House.

I've spoken to people who didn't end up as bruised as I did! And know that you'll know if it's not right for you – but just knowing that makes your experience as incredible as everyone's who got to the end.