There’s a storm in and outside the theatre as Theatre Works’ production of Love and Information, by lauded playwright Caryl Churchill, begins. The play is a disjointed collage of vignettes, jumping from short interludes to even shorter interludes that explore themes of – and it will come as no surprise – love and information. The most exciting of Churchill’s reflections are those where the themes come together – how love exists with and within information and vice versa.
Director Belle Hansen’s clarity and ambition of vision is apparent from the outset, with an encompassing set designed by Harry Gill, that is a blue sky, grass dreamscape that’s both purgatory and kaleidoscope evoking other spaces and times. As the cast weaves through set pieces and each other, Hansen’s role as choreographer and her keen eye for shapes and movement also comes to the fore. The lighting by Sidney Younger is particularly impressive, providing an immense amount of variety without drawing attention to itself despite oodles of scenes to frame. In terms of the production’s aesthetic, Hansen delivers on her vision.
But her needle-sharp clarity hampers the performance aspects of the production. For example, the sound design by Jack Burmeister is fantastic during transitions between scenes; his composition is dramatic and tugs at the heart. But the constant music during scenes takes away the cast’s opportunities to form connection and atmosphere. It’s irritating to be spoon-fed what emotion to feel before an actor has even opened their mouth, but more importantly it’s a roadblock to feeling any emotion at all from the performers and chips away at the magic of ephemeral live performance.
The production is so choreographed and in such constant movement that still and quieter moments stand out because they provide a rare opportunity for any display of acting from the cast to breathe and settle. It doesn’t help that Churchill has a reticence for finishing sentences and ideas and offering explanation.
With that said, the scenes about AI chat bots, what pain feels like and what fear feels like are engaging and thought-provoking.
Among the barrage of vignettes, two high rollers try to glean the meaning of a Jackson Pollock-esque artwork. It’s a situation audiences will find themselves in once they exit through the theatre doors.
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If Churchill and Hansen had allowed more space for emotion and connection with the audience and between characters, it’s likely that trying to understand the work’s meaning wouldn’t matter so much. It’s a hard slog to sit through and will tire you out but, arguably, that is precisely the point. In leading audiences through information overload, Hansen wittingly or not creates an experiential work – the discomfort of which some people may enjoy and others may find oppressive.
Love and Information, by Caryl Churchill
Theatre Works
Director and Choreographer: Belle Hansen
Set Design: Harry Gill
Lighting Design: Sidney Younger
Sound Design and Composition: Jack Burmeister
Projection Design: Hannah Jennings
Intimacy Coordinator: Kiana Daniele
Production and Stage Manager: Jade Hibbert
Assistant Stage Manager: Mahi Modouris
Assistant Director and Choreographer: Bek Shilling
Assistant Lighting Design: Joshua Fernandez
Associate Secondment: Bella Ness
Cast: Iopu Auva’a, Jane Edwina Seymour, Jack Francis West, Junghwi Jo, Charlie Morris, Felix Star, Emma Woods, Sean Yuen Halley
Tickets: $25-$55
Love and Information will be performed until 14 June 2025.
