Playhouse, Melbourne, October
When Political Mother "ends", the audience is left with lights up, an empty stage, a loud rendition of "Both Sides" and a false sense of expectation. They cheer, clamour and worship at the altar of emptiness. The joke, of course, is that this is the very substance of Political Mother. Populations are controlled, oppressed and abused by the charismatic, whether they be leaders or metal heads. Populations can also triumph against this tyranny.
Political Mother is an assault from beginning to end. In a good way. It opens with an atmospheric chord that builds; meanwhile onstage, a solitary samurai warrior plunges a sword into his guts and writhes in agony. Separated by a series of blackouts, scenes build to state and recapitulate themes of oppression, the blind worship of various political and popular culture "gods", and the human spirit's ability to rise above these abominations (through folk dance!).
The sheer intensity and volume and suddenness of some of these scenes had audience members jumping out of their skins. Political Mother is relentless. What is truly compelling about this work is that potentially grim themes are explored through such transporting movement. Although a little over-explained and at times rather literal, the work remains entertaining for most of its 70 minutes.
The choreographic language is captivating. Lightness and weight often coexist within the same movement. The dancers' facility allows for dissociations of movement so that the posture may convey heaviness while the legs are springy and the arms appear to float. References to traditional Israeli folk dancing are spliced with driving, almost tribal movements. The latter is suggestive of religious or political hysteria or mania. Yet all movements retain a clear crispness. The interaction between ensemble and individual choreography is well balanced with groupings of dancers moving in swarms and breaking away into constellations of arresting patterning.
Blurred rantings of political or religious extremists become a motif that is repeated throughout Political Mother. Sited top centre, high above the dancers, orators appear and disappear as if they are mere projections, powerful but transitory. They are accompanied by guitarists and drummers who both strengthen their menacing presence yet also drown out their words. The appearance and disappearance creates a sense of the illusory nature of these figures, it also adds to the dimensionality of the theatrical experience, with all parts of the stage used.
Sustaining a fevered pitch of intensity for over an hour is a feat and Political Mother would have been stronger for some edits. This is especially the case since the work was quite cyclic, repeating rather than extending its message. The use of a song at the end, which inevitably directs an audience's interpretation, detracted from the powerfulness of what had gone before. However, with moments of such fabulousness, it would be mean to dwell on this. For its slight flaws, to have dance that excites and creates an authentic vocabulary is a treat and invigorating.
- SUSAN BENDALL