Vitalstatistix’s latest show is the excellent Cutaway – A Portrait, part of a trio of works exploring the past, present and future of Waterside. A Portrait is the second in the series and focuses on the present day experiences of the Waterside Workers Hall (Vitalstatistix’ home) and the Port Adelaide community in general.
The centrepiece of the event is Portrait, in which three people perform interviews conducted with or about real Port Adelaide personalities. The show uses headphone-verbatim performance, a technique where genuine non-performed recordings are played into the ears of the performers, who then speak along exactly with what they hear. The result is impressive: performers can embody the speaker’s persona without guile or judgment, without bringing themselves into the part. The language is wonderfully real, complete with all the pauses, nervous giggles, overlay and interruptions of real conversation.
More than 100 local residents were interviewed to create this edited selection for performance; the whittled down result is a moving, funny and extremely honest representation of this unusual community. From wharfies to guerilla knitters, the port is dissected and cherished.
Among the highlights are the silent toasting of a dead ship-mate, the antics of three young women who went to school together in the area and the fierce footballing pride of a beloved local hairdresser. But really, picking highlights is unnecessary because every one of the stories is so strong and compelling. Portrait is by far the longest work in the show, but it also forms the artistic core of the night.
Opening the evening is In a Different Light (A Waterside Remix) which quite literally throws a spotlight on the Waterside Workers Hall. In near darkness, Luke Ashby gives a torch-lit and lovely rendition of his own song, ‘Different Light’. Then Jason Sweeney uses two torches to draw attention to different architectural features of the space, accompanied by his soundtrack of creaks, footsteps, swinging doors and scraping latches. This effectively concentrates focus on the room, resulting in some memorable moments such as the spooky sound of whining hinges just as the lights reach the side doors. However, on the whole the light sequence in the second half of this work is a little too long and too obscure to be riveting.
At the end of the night comes a recording of the Born on Monday Choir singing ‘The Anchor Song’. A haunting work in its own right, the composition is augmented by the choice to record in the hall, keeping the rough edges and odd resonances that process created. The result is a calming, peaceful work, perfectly placed to draw the night to a close.
On the way out, each audience member is given one part of a 365-edition work by Sasha Grbich. Grbich has gone through the interviews recorded for Portrait and listened for the parts of conversations which are not language – the moments when speakers sigh, umm or fall silent and just listen to the background noises. She has taken these moments and traced the visual shape of the sound wave. Wrapped in a page-long explanation of the work, each of editions is a good reminder of the importance Cutaway – A Portrait places on listening. This work is very dependent on its context but within that frame it is very strong.
The show is dedicated to Rex Munn, a local who embodied so many aspects of the Port – yarns, unionism, activism and creativity – and who died in November of this year.
A celebration of character and characters at once local and universal, Cutaway – A Portrait is without doubt one of the best theatre works made in Adelaide in 2012.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
Vitalstatistix present
Cutaway – A Portrait
Created and directed by Roslyn Oades
Performers: Katia Molino, Stephen Sheehan and Sasha Zahra
Collaborating artists: Sasha Grbich, Jason Sweeney, Wendy Todd, Lara Torr and Emma Webb
In A Different Light (A Waterside Remix)
Sound Design and Live Score: Jason Sweeney
Song compositions and performance: Luke Ashby
Portrait
Creator and Director: Roslyn Oades
Performers: Katia Molino, Sasha Zahra, Stephen Sheehan
Designer: Wendy Todd
The Anchor Song
Song Composer: Bjork
Performers: Born on Monday Choir, facilitated by Lara Torr
Recording and Mixing: Jason Sweeney
One Person Talks Then Another Person Talks
Artist – Sasha Grbich
Waterside Workers’ Hall, Port Adelaide
13 – 16 December
