The Wharf, Sydney Theatre Company
January 13
Many Australians will have heard of Christos Tsiolkas' novel The Slap, which explores the fallout among family and friends after a man slaps a child who is not his son. It has recently attracted a wider audience as an ABC television series. The questions the story raises, about modern parenting, children, boundaries and discipline, are all explored in Never Did Me Any Harm, a new collaboration between Kate Champion's Force Majeure and the Sydney Theatre Company.
With a cast of eight dancers and actors who play different roles throughout, this is a fast-moving piece of dance theatre with more than enough material to make into a longer work. At one hour it is a brief but very satisfying performance and, despite the serious nature of some of the themes, provides plenty of laughs. The cast blended together well: the actors stood out for the strength of their voices and depth of characterisation while the dancers incorporated difficult choreography with ease. Indeed movement and physicality are used as integral parts of each character, helping to bring them to life.
Joshua Mu is a strong performer, equally talented in drama and dance, while Vincent Crowley stood out with a particularly humorous monologue about kids not being able to climb trees anymore which expanded into frustration at an overly cautious and litigious society. Heather Mitchell was totally recognisable as a modern day helicopter parent who couldn't watch her son being taught how to catch without running in to help. Kirstie McCracken's petite frame helped in making her interpretation of a child look genuine while her movement was mature in its expressiveness.
The set and lighting design by Geoff Cobham is crucial in conveying different atmospheres and moods. What looks like an ordinary suburban backyard takes on an innocuously cheerful or menacing flavour in seconds and his use of patterned light successfully creates the illusion of texture and movement where there isn't any. The design is matched effectively by a varied sound composition from Max Lyandvert, which ranges from the everyday sound of birds singing to a throbbing electronic intensity when frustration or anger between characters comes to a head.
One of the best aspects of this work is the range of perspectives and opinions it explores (the result of three years of extensive recorded interviews), which are incorporated into the script. Never Did Me Any Harm isn't all about the children, but encompasses the stresses and concerns of a wide range of adults, parents and otherwise. Director and choreographer Kate Champion has succeeded in bringing together a thoughtful, articulate and entertaining piece of dance theatre.
- GERALDINE HIGGINSON