Emus On Stage

Aubrey Qiu Qi Wang’s play, Antigone, never quite took off its training wheels. The play had a fabulous concept, fusing Greek drama with English and Auslan. I was really excited to see how the team would incorporate sign language and speak to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Unfortunately, due to the misguided direction, the play fell flat. I would really love to know what went wrong because the concept is unlike anything I’ve heard before! There really is space for a good play of this nature in Sydney and if it is done well, I believe it could be a massive success. 

I always feel as though the performance begins the moment I walk into the performance space. The energy I feel as I first enter is usually carried through with me into the show. As I enter, in front of the stage is a voice to text projection screen. My initial thoughts were ‘Wow they’ve definitely gone the extra mile to create an accessible space!’ Those thoughts quickly disapated as the director Aubrey Qiu-Qi Wang gave an insincere speech on the play. The problem started after Liu Qi Wang delivered an acknowledgement to country that was detached and apathetic. The acknowledgement to country is not a requirement of theatre but, if it is done, it must be personalised and done with taste. It felt more disrespectful acting like you are too cool for it while twirling your hair and sighing than not doing one at all.

Her speech lasted for 10 minutes all given in the same detached and balsé tone while reading the notes from her phone. It then took another significant amount of time to pack down the projector and reset for the show. No one helped her. No producer, cast or crew. As far as I’m concerned, if you have the audience’s attention and you’re on stage, you’re part of the show and this felt like a moment we weren’t supposed to watch. It was uncomfortable and weird. This whole moment could have been a great propeller into the atmosphere of the play. It could have been sincere, excited, choreographed and condensed.  Instead there was a looming sensation of awkwardness and tesion. All this and the play hasn’t even started yet!

The mixed matched styles in every department hurt the storyline. It felt as though the director was never in the rehearsal room. The room was pretty drab. Old style bed sheets, like the ones your grandma would have, were hung to be curtains and doorways, two greek style doors were to the left of the curtain and a large contemporary rug was in the middle of the stage. Often what I’ve found is a budget set encourages ground breaking performances. Instead, the frugal set matched the performance.

When the play finally commenced Paul Sorauer entered by himself carrying a large knotted rope. Playing Polyneikes, Antigones dead brother, and the Auslan translator, he interacted with it in a strange way until he finally lied down with it. It wasn’t until the end of the play, where Antigone was hung, when I realised the relationship between the rope and death. It was a really interesting motif that I would really have loved to have seen more of! Sorauer’s face and hands were covered with silver paint and the sockets of his eyes were a dark black. At first it was quite jarring, not sure if it was alien makeup, tribe paint or if terrible makeup was the style of the play. However as the play evolved it became evident that it was a really interesting device used to separate Polyneikes, a ghost / spirit, with the rest of the living world. Paul Sorauer (Polyneikes) was fascinating to watch. He translated all the spoken words into AUSLAN and became a silent commentator on the unfolding scenes. At times he was the most interesting thing to watch. I really commend Sorauer on his ability to hold the stage without even speaking.

Aside from Soraur, who intentionally had a different style than the other actors, it was as if everyone was on their own wavelength. It was clear that only a few of the creatives knew what genre the play was to be in. Naomi Belet (Antigone) and Adam Lee (Haimon) were the stand out actors. The words fell off their tongue with ease. They made the heightened language easily understandable. They both have a stage presence that is hypnotic to watch. Lee and Balet saved the day, allowing me a movement to breathe while the chaos unfolded. 

James Kerwin playing Teiresias was also enchanting. I loved Qiu Qi Wangs interpretation of Teiresias being a deaf prophet compared to the original story where Teiresias is a blind prophet. I’m so glad that she chose a deaf actor to play Teiresias. All of Kerwin’s dialogue was in Auslan including his prophecy monologue. There was no need to be able to understand Auslan. We breathed when he breathed, we were scared when he was scared. In a weird way, we listened when he spoke. Kerwin was able to take us on an emotional journey just with his energy. 

Warren Paul Glover (Creon) fell flat to the role that is as powerful as Creon. I felt as though there was a sense of ego and superiority coming from him. Between forgetting lines and underplaying important moments, I couldn’t follow the storyline or his relationships. Melodramatic actions were played on lines where it was fine to just be. It felt as though Creon was trying too hard to be seen as powerful without just being powerful. 

Andrew Cremen (Sentry) would have been an interesting character to watch should he have had more guidance. His performance voice was far deeper than his natural voice resulting in difficulty understanding him. His projection, while amazing, was so loud it kinda made me wish I was deaf. The moments where Sentry was in danger were overboard and too loud. It kinda made me wish they had killed him so it could stop. His take on Sentry just did not fit the vibe of the play. With more direction his role could have been more nuanced resulting in a fabulous and unique character interpretation. Should this have been an opera or created as a melodrama he would have been perfect! 

Daniel Saunders (Aristos) and Mimi Aitken (Ismene), while clear and understandable, appeared slightly like a deer in the headlights. They had a strong stage presence. With some more experience, they could be really captivating! They both seem quite young so I know there’s definitely a lot of potential that can be pulled from them. Should they have had more direction, I’m sure they would have been less nervous and more confident. I’m excited to see how they grow as actors. 

I’m not sure if Qiu Qi Wang didn’t have the education or experience to collate all of her ideas in an effective manner or wasn’t passionate enough to make it work. I would love to see Qiu Qi Wang give this show another go in a couple of months where she can figure out what styles she wants to incorporate. It’s a really cool concept! It’s just lacking in clarity and intent.

RATING 

Performers Skill 2 / 5

Stage and Atmosphere 1 / 5

Value for Money PAID $35  2 / 5

Entertainment value 2 / 5

BONUS POINTS

Independent artist +1

8 / 20