State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth
Date reviewed: November 25
“IN.HOUSE” is a production that forms part of Co3’s Pathways Program. This year, the triple-bill program was held in the Middar Room of the State Theatre Centre of WA (one of the rehearsal rooms) and presented the works of three dance makers.
The first piece presented was Beta, a work by Mark Haslam in collaboration with Rachel Arianne Ogle. The performance opens with Haslam sitting at a desk with a laptop and soundboard. In the middle of the room is a large, cubic, tent-like structure with flywire-like walls. Inside the cube is a performer (Jessica Pettitt). As Haslam types on his laptop, his typing is projected onto the cube, and he explains to the audience that “Jess” is wearing a motion-capture body suit that is linked to his computer. As Jess moves, static sounds can be heard, and scattered images (including TikToks) are projected onto the cube. The technology used for this performance is impressive, and I enjoyed Haslam’s experimentation with image projection. The work clearly revolved around the idea of disconnection between our digital and physical lives, but I felt as though some aspects of the performance were incomplete. For example, the audio did not necessarily correlate with Jess’s movement, and as the performance progressed, the purpose of the motion-capture suit became less clear. Nevertheless, the work presented new ideas with potential.
The second piece was That Was Awkward by Russell Thorpe. This work explores the joy of our awkwardness, uniqueness and eccentricity, and was performed by Thorpe, Tao Issaro, Matthew Morris and Luci Young. This was a great performance; it was thought-provoking, well-executed and made me laugh. All performers are dressed in miss-matching, brightly-coloured, clothing (including hoodies and lycra). Issaro (for the most part) acted as a disc jockey, creating overlapping and chaotic house music, while Thorpe, Morris and Young moved about the stage. The performers tell bad, one-liner jokes, laugh loudly and create tableaux depicting stereotypical, awkward family photos. At one stage, the dancers grabbed a microphone and took turns rapping, deliberately terribly, about plates (yes, the kitchen item). The performers’ high energy and enthusiasm throughout the piece really drove the celebration of individuality that this work presents.
The final performance, If, Then, was a work by David Mack in collaboration with James O’Hara and Oscar Mack. Performed by David Mack and Olivia Hendry, the entire performance takes place within a box that is sealed. The only view into the box is through a rectangular glass window facing the audience. The box fills with smoke and the two topless performers appear behind the glass. The use of smoke in this work is very effective; as the dancers move forwards and backwards inside the box, they seem to disappear entirely and then re-emerge, as if from nowhere. The performance was polished and I enjoyed its novelty, but it felt a bit one-dimensional. Like Beta, this piece has room for development, and I would be interested to see where Mack takes it next.
While each of the performances were individually enjoyable, the overall presentation of the show was somewhat underwhelming. Between each performance, the house lights were up, and the audience were given flippant and somewhat confusing instructions to chat amongst themselves or shift their chairs to a new spot for a better view. I appreciate that the event was of a casual nature, but my impression was that the audience’s experience was an afterthought in this production. Nevertheless, “IN.HOUSE” was a valuable opportunity for the artists to try new things and explore their originality.
- ALANA KILDEA