The Arrival: a highlight of the festival

  

Fleeing an oppressive governmental force, and leaving behind his beloved wife and daughter, a man travels vast oceans in search of a better life in a new land. There he encounters indecipherable languages, peculiar customs, strange foods and weird creatures, all combined with dazzling architecture. Straight off the boat he is caught up in a bewildering series of checks and tests.

Baffled and confused, he attempts to find a home, work and eventually, with the help of friendly locals, the security needed to reunite his family.

While seemingly fantastical, The Arrival is also eerily familiar to us in many ways. It's a universal story of hope, of humanity and overcoming hardship. The production is a tribute to migrants, refugees and displaced people everywhere.

It explores ideas of identity and belonging ,and issues of communication. (Red Leap created an 'international language' specifically for this play). The plot and narrative are clearly and simply developed.

Visually stunning, the show is at times very funny, at others extremely moving and emotional.

The ensemble cast of ten bring the book to life with a blending of physical theatre, acrobatics, shadow play, mime, puppetry, dance and music, with some resonances of Phillipe Genty's theatrical style.

Sometimes the performers play parts of the set and then move into characters or they start manipulating a puppet' says creator, director and performer Kate Parker.

It's a way of showing how displaced a migrant can feel when everything around them is strange'. Even simple things like buying a newspaper or asking for directions are awkward if you can't speak the language.

At times the cast become machines,or Cocteau-like wall fittings, or post boxes that regurgitate all the mail for example.

There are strange birds, flying ships, travelling balloons ... The Man makes friends with an exuberant cute white dog that actually looks like a mouse. And I loved the dragon!

Other favourites include the mad green bird at the motel, the black cat and the nautilus. Also the vacuum-cleaner like dryer that was at the motel.

The Man's thoughts and dreams of his family are represented by a paper origami bird and a letter he keeps. We learn of one woman's story of violence and abuse before she manages to escape - a marvellous use of acrobatics and ladders here.

A visual feast, the set design by John Verret is magical, quite fairytale in parts - foggy ships , cone works construction lines, wonderful fish and food markets (with screaming fish).

At times the set appears to fold out in 3D like a pop-up book. The scene where The Man goes for a walk through the stunning city where he has moved to is fabulous.

Also impressive is the use of the sliding/rolling peices of set that at one stage formed a concrete wall like an internment centre for refugees for example.

Elizabeth Whiting's costumes are vaguely 1940-ish but with a timeless feel. Jeremy Fern's superb lighting is mostly glowing gold/russett tones but sometimes with looming shadows. The oppressive government force is represented by dark , shadowy 'exterminators' that engulf everyone and kills them.

A mesmerizing, enthralling production rapturously received that speaks both of the past yet to the present. Don't miss it.

The Arrival is playing at Carriageworks as part of the Syndey Festival.

Performance dates:
January 11, 14, 16 at 7pm
January 13, 15 at 11am, 3pm
January 17 at 3pm

Running time 90 mins no interval

For more information and tickets visit http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au.