REVIEW Lands End
September 10th 2008 23:14
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Adelaide Festival Centre's CentreStage program presents
Compagnie Philippe Genty performing their new work Lands End
It's close to forty years since master puppeteer Philippe Genty first brought his astonishing stage magic to Adelaide, and since then there have been many visits 1978 Adelaide Festival, 1984, '89, '91, '94, and in '96 the acclaimed Stowaways produced by the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust. The most recent production I saw prior to Land's End was in Sydney, Vanishing Point (2004) where the subconscious was unleashed and human beings changed from 20cm tall to 3m tall in the blink of an eye. Here now with Land's End the magic continues as paper cut outs become performers and one is never certain if the performers are real people or imagined.
His is a very particular style of puppetry that has developed over this time and if like me you have watched over the years the way he has taken hold of more abstract ideas and realised them on stage Land's End will probably satisfy you deeply. Twenty five years ago Jim Henson and the Muppets virtually ruled the commercial puppet world and harvested much of their material from the American Vaudeville Stage, around this time in a bid to show the greater integrity and potential of puppets to deal with more sophisticated adult concepts Genty shifted away from feather boa ostriches and started to deal with the inner words of emotion and psychology; these days the result of this departure from the more mainstream ideas that are attached to puppets is a style of theatre that is essentially non-narrative driven and looks more like Australia's Theatre of Image or even yesteryear's Adelaide Dance Theatre productions like the legendary Wildstars.
Actors dance and mime with each other as the stage itself shifts around them like an aperture in a camera closing and opening on scenes of domestic harmony or the reverse; domestic horror as the morning newspaper literally devours the reader. A couple whispering sweet nothings transform into love letters that tear away at each other out of frustration. It's very adult and open to interpretation.
Land's End develops a recognizable narrative but doesn't rely too heavily upon it departing often into flights of fantasy and spectacle. It's definitely a long way away from the notions of fluffy creatures telling jokes and singing songs, although some of the songs presented by the ensemble are quite beautiful they do not have that American showbiz shtick, it's a restrained French simplicity and connection with the heart that resonates.
Genty seems in some ways to have willingly exposed himself a little more than usual with the journey of an every-woman through the pitfalls from birth to love to sexual awakening and accepting the inevitable (that men are mere insects with erections) along the way. His is not a family show for youngsters but a very sophisticated program that will appeal to the teenagers who want to see something a little edgy with the folks.
Always impressive and never dull, Land's End truly pays off this love affair / investment between Adelaide and Genty one more time, proving that despite our isolation from the world we are fundamentally connected to some of the most remarkable stage craft developments to have emerged over the past forty years or so. Local outfits such as KneeHigh Puppeteers and the Garden of Unearthly Delights' Puppet Palace offer material equally sophisticated that are also in many ways part of Genty's legacy since he was the first pioneer who brought us this amazing theatre form way back when. A must see while it's here on a short stop at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Land's End is one night out in the theatre that will leave a lasting impression.
David Jobling
There will be a 20-minute question and answer session after the performance on 11 September.
Genty's universe is surprising, funny, disturbing sometimes, but always fascinating.
Ouest France
Presented by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia.
What: Lands End
Director : Philippe Genty and Mary Underwood
Writer: Philippe Genty
Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre
When: 10 - 13 September 8pm
13 September 2pm
Cost: Premium $65, Adults $60, Concession $50, Student $25, Groups (6 ) $50
Season Pass $50, Season Pass Concession $45
Bookings: BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au
The production is part of CentreStage, a premier season of international performance presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre. CentreStage is just one stream in a year-long festival of theatre, dance and music.
Compagnie Philippe Genty performing their new work Lands End
It's close to forty years since master puppeteer Philippe Genty first brought his astonishing stage magic to Adelaide, and since then there have been many visits 1978 Adelaide Festival, 1984, '89, '91, '94, and in '96 the acclaimed Stowaways produced by the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust. The most recent production I saw prior to Land's End was in Sydney, Vanishing Point (2004) where the subconscious was unleashed and human beings changed from 20cm tall to 3m tall in the blink of an eye. Here now with Land's End the magic continues as paper cut outs become performers and one is never certain if the performers are real people or imagined.
His is a very particular style of puppetry that has developed over this time and if like me you have watched over the years the way he has taken hold of more abstract ideas and realised them on stage Land's End will probably satisfy you deeply. Twenty five years ago Jim Henson and the Muppets virtually ruled the commercial puppet world and harvested much of their material from the American Vaudeville Stage, around this time in a bid to show the greater integrity and potential of puppets to deal with more sophisticated adult concepts Genty shifted away from feather boa ostriches and started to deal with the inner words of emotion and psychology; these days the result of this departure from the more mainstream ideas that are attached to puppets is a style of theatre that is essentially non-narrative driven and looks more like Australia's Theatre of Image or even yesteryear's Adelaide Dance Theatre productions like the legendary Wildstars.
Actors dance and mime with each other as the stage itself shifts around them like an aperture in a camera closing and opening on scenes of domestic harmony or the reverse; domestic horror as the morning newspaper literally devours the reader. A couple whispering sweet nothings transform into love letters that tear away at each other out of frustration. It's very adult and open to interpretation.
Land's End develops a recognizable narrative but doesn't rely too heavily upon it departing often into flights of fantasy and spectacle. It's definitely a long way away from the notions of fluffy creatures telling jokes and singing songs, although some of the songs presented by the ensemble are quite beautiful they do not have that American showbiz shtick, it's a restrained French simplicity and connection with the heart that resonates.
Genty seems in some ways to have willingly exposed himself a little more than usual with the journey of an every-woman through the pitfalls from birth to love to sexual awakening and accepting the inevitable (that men are mere insects with erections) along the way. His is not a family show for youngsters but a very sophisticated program that will appeal to the teenagers who want to see something a little edgy with the folks.
Always impressive and never dull, Land's End truly pays off this love affair / investment between Adelaide and Genty one more time, proving that despite our isolation from the world we are fundamentally connected to some of the most remarkable stage craft developments to have emerged over the past forty years or so. Local outfits such as KneeHigh Puppeteers and the Garden of Unearthly Delights' Puppet Palace offer material equally sophisticated that are also in many ways part of Genty's legacy since he was the first pioneer who brought us this amazing theatre form way back when. A must see while it's here on a short stop at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Land's End is one night out in the theatre that will leave a lasting impression.
David Jobling
There will be a 20-minute question and answer session after the performance on 11 September.
Genty's universe is surprising, funny, disturbing sometimes, but always fascinating.
Ouest France
Presented by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia.
What: Lands End
Director : Philippe Genty and Mary Underwood
Writer: Philippe Genty
Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre
When: 10 - 13 September 8pm
13 September 2pm
Cost: Premium $65, Adults $60, Concession $50, Student $25, Groups (6 ) $50
Season Pass $50, Season Pass Concession $45
Bookings: BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au
The production is part of CentreStage, a premier season of international performance presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre. CentreStage is just one stream in a year-long festival of theatre, dance and music.
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