‘Death Throes’ is the latest exciting co-creation of Harriet Gillies, Joe Lui and Julia Croft.
This 70-minute adult show is produced by Samantha Nerida and can be seen in the Blue Room Studio at 53 James Street, Northbridge each evening at 8.30 until Saturday 11th May, and then at the earlier time of 7.00 from Tuesday 14th until Saturday 18th May.
The lighting and sound design are by Joe Lui at his very best. The actors even carry large old-style flood and spotlights using them like large torches. Overworked Chelsea Gibson had lights, microphones, sound effects, music, projector, smoke and wind machines to operate – faultless. There was a clever microphone manipulation that took the speaker’s voice down an octave or two without slowing the dialogue.
The scene: present day and the future
The set: is a pink, two-metre circular shag pile rug. Folding table and chairs.
A girl (Harriet Gillies) in a green, highly sequined dress illuminates the ground at her feet and fully acknowledges the Traditional Landowners; this is also the play’s reference to the past.
The next scene is the present. A public meeting with three very different speakers – possibly politicians, perhaps idealists, or are they anarchists demanding common sense of the Government? The interpretation is up to you. One thing that we will all agree on, there is a great deal of common sense in the rhetoric as many topical and controversial themes are raised; with Keynesian theories (Julia Croft), the quality of life (Harriet Gillies) and the waste of food (Joe Lui) all mentioned. Some points are accurate, some are what the politicians think you want to hear, and the rest is bullshit.
It soon become obvious that greed and poor management has wrecked the average man’s world and ‘we might a well be walking on the sun’. Perhaps the answer is just that, in death throes they try and find another planet – a safe haven, or even a new Avalon ‘baby’.
Like most of the trio’s shows, this is a little weird, fascinating, intriguing, mind provoking and yet satisfying. The storyline, lighting and stunning sound may seem strange but possibly hours later the full depth of the thought behind the production will become clear. From the obnoxious speakers to the space travel, there is a huge amount of thought gone into this show. The cast certainly give it every bit of energy.
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