Various venues, Sydney (9-30th January, 2010)
Barely Contained by Circus Oz
Big Top, Tumbalong Park (9 Jan)
The first thing I noticed was the fact we had Row A seats, which meant if any performer misstepped, they were probably going to hit us. No one did, of course, but we did have a close call with Tom, who ended one flip staring closely at my companion and grinning, and I did get asked by Mel whether her bum looked big in the roo costume.
There was plenty of mayhem to keep amused for 90 minutes and each set was well-constructed with a nice balance of character and skill in each segment. While Circus Oz don't have the polish or awe-inspiring acrobatics of something like Cirque du Soleil (or the budget), they certainly have a lot of humour and irreverence, which I greatly enjoyed.
The win was definitely the endearing nature of the characters constructed through performance, something bigger acts tend to forget in favour of smick costumes. The dynamic of the cast was also a joy, and for a lot of it, it felt as if the audience were incidental to a bunch of performers having fun. Definitely worth the admission price.
Show rating: 8/10
Enjoyment rating: 8/10
Festival First Night
Various venues, Sydney (9 Jan)
My evening began when I headed up to Hyde Park to see Seekae. Although I'd caught them at Peats Ridge, I felt they could really kick start the festival vibe, which they did in style via a very interesting rendition of White Town's 'Your Woman'.
After their set I made my way to Martin Place to see Jay Katz and Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro (below), a Japanese funk band I'd only heard of that morning when FBi radio played a track and I rang in and won a copy of their album. They were incredibly tight with their set and I was impressed at how energetic they were, considering the chilled out (albeit enthusiastic) nature of the crowd. Definitely a band to follow.
I returned to Hyde Park to see Bobby Singh and friends (including Circle of Rhythm and Band of Brothers) and The Manganiyar Seduction, an Indian group of some 40-odd musicians who sing and play instruments while encased in lit boxes (that's the best way I can describe their show).
Circle of Rhythm presented a complex timbre to a flight of beats, while Band of Brothers layered that loosely-defined 'world' music onto some skilled musicality, a deep understanding between the two sets of brothers that fed a exceptional dynamic.
Manganiyar was mesmerising, simultaneously an introduction to Indian singing and music as well as a display of its finest components. The set of lit boxes worked well to, by turns, highlight individual members of the group and bring them together. I felt as if I'd fallen into a trance while listening, and yet I also believed parts of my brain awakened upon hearing the woven sounds.
I was supposed to meet a friend but she bailed because it was really hot (that's what you get when you do Bollywood dancing in full sun), so I left after that and went to eat ice cream at Passionflower, foregoing Al Green in The Domain. I heard I missed a good show.
Night rating: 8/10
Enjoyment rating: 7/10
The Arrival by Red Leap Theatre
The Carriageworks, Eveleigh (10 Jan)
I was walking down Wilson Street, very close to The Carriageworks when I saw a man who looked remarkably like illustrator Shaun Tan alight from a taxi. I've seen him a few times at festivals (Sydney Writers, Melbourne Writers and National Young Writers) so I was pretty sure it was him but I didn't want to be caught staring. (Turns out it was him; he received thanks for his book 'The Arrival' at the end of the performance and was sitting just a few rows in front of me.)
If you've never 'read' the book (it's a wordless illustrated tome, how do you describe 'reading' that?), I suggest you at least have a flick through in a book shop prior to coming to the show to get an idea on what it's about. You will thus also appreciate the exquisite sets, which pay homage to his work but also work as practical scene-changing devices.
'The Arrival', like the book of the same name, is deliberately disorientating as the audience is taken on a journey of discovery akin to that of the protagonist, a man who leaves behind his family to search for comfort in a new land. To call it theatre is a misnomer; it is as much interpretive dance and performance art as it is a play. The most wonderful aspect is that it contains just enough humour, and a balanced dose of endearing charm, to outweigh any element that seems contrived.
What really worked was the encounters the protagonist had with the land's inhabitants and the segue as they 'tell' him their story, always done in a moving, beautifully dark way. I have to commend the ensemble, whose dynamic really shined throughout. The only thing I would criticise was the recorded sound, which was occasionally overbearing, and used a tad too often.
As a mostly wordless performance, I would recommend against going with, or sitting near, a kid who asks lots of questions about what's going on, which was the unfortunate position I found myself in. At least take them through the book before you go!
Show rating: 9/10
Enjoyment rating: 8/10
The Handsome Family
The Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park (15 Jan)
I'd heard a couple of songs by The Handsome Family, but still didn't know what to expect when I walked into The Famous Spiegeltent with my friend Ness (who also had no idea as I'd bought her the ticket for Christmas).
Brett and Rennie Sparks delivered 90 minutes of alt-country - the 'alternative' meaning 'more than slightly disturbing in a poetic kind of way' - using electric guitar (Brett), banjo/electric bass (Rennie) and pre-recorded drums (Mac laptop).
Although Rennie's humorous introduction buttered up the audience, the gig started slowly, a little sleepily, and I was afraid I might get bored by halfway through. I was wrong. Who could ever get bored with songs about bottomless holes in the garden, snakes and whiskey, and scenes in graveyards? And better yet, Rennie's hilarious introductions to each song? "I wanted to write a song about the night sky but instead it ended up being a song about how sad convenience stores are." The banter between husband and wife also kept things fresh and kooky.
Even if you only have a passing interest in their songs, definitely try and catch a Handsome Family show because these two are two-thirds country/folk musicians and one part comedy duo.
Gig rating: 7/10
Enjoyment rating: 8/10
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