Mongel mouth’s latest foray into ‘immersive’ theatre consists of a cast of several free-range performers roaming across two levels of a historic sandstone house in the Rocks. We are invited to either interact with the performers, or simply to watch as passive observers, but the best way to get bang for your buck is to embrace the opportunity to become part of the action.
The story takes place across two different periods, revolving around the conflict between left wing activists campaigning for free education, and their powerful, wealthy counterparts. The central narrative is the journey of Lara, left-wing leader, as she is seduced by power and prestige. There are many themes and subplots to discover, including a thin love interest, mutiny in the lower ranks, and the oppression of the working class, but all roads lead to Lara.
There is a lot of fun to be had. It’s invigorating to be given the opportunity to mould and shape the moving parts of a narrative. For the right audience, this production is a gift. But perhaps the most exciting thing about it is the promise of potential – that in terms of production, performance and storytelling, there is much room for improvement.
The directors’ note speaks exclusively about the intersection between art and politics, and on this topic, it does not deliver. The extreme left and right are polarised to the point of unbelievability, and characters on both sides are one-dimensional and too caricatured to be taken seriously. Consequently, the audience is unable to emotionally invest in any of the politics on offer. This diminishes the complexity of the politics portrayed and prevents it from really hitting home for the audience.
The performances seem under-prepared for audience intervention. Performers were not capable of rolling with a spontaneous idea, opting instead to stick to script. Improvisation is not the strong suit of Australian theatre, so the casting of a largely Latin cast was a little nugget of genius – Mediterranean passion does much to balance out the Australian coolness. The dynamic is enjoyable if nothing else, and suggests that any problems with characterisations stem more from writing than performance.
Across the board there are missed opportunities for drama. For example, why choose a cause as vanilla as ‘free education’? Wouldn’t immigration policy have been a more volatile topic, especially in light of current immigration policy? And although costumes are stunning, they are straight out of the industrial revolution, which has the effect of transposing the action to a time and place far removed from present day Sydney. The overall effect is a production that fails to capitalise on the ability of immersive theatre to blur the boundaries of fact and fiction, and hence fails to challenge its audience.
Most disappointingly is the sideline of Lara’s unlikely lover, who’s conflict seems contrived and petty amidst the political upheaval surrounding him. This side plot submits to the cliché of drama in necessitating a love interest, despite its irrelevance to the subject matter. When Australia has only recently had a PM whose love life faced more scrutiny than her policies, as Lara’s many affairs are implicated, did anyone see the irony?
All round, this production smacks of a lack of commitment to push the boundaries of of immersive theatre. However, it’s greatest criticism should also be interpreted as a great compliment – while it didn’t go far enough or drive strong enough, the fact that I wanted it to speaks volumes of it’s potential. One to watch out for.
Age of Entitlement
Performance Dates: Previews 3 & 4 December (SOLD OUT!) | Season 5–20 December (SOLD OUT!)
Performance Times: Wednesday–Saturday 8pm
Venue: Merchants House, 43-45 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000
Artistic Director/Producer – Duncan Maurice
Artistic Associate – Charles Upton
Set Design – Jo Parkin/Shane Robertson
Videographer – Chris Evans
Cast – Paloma Alma, Angela Blake, Aston Campbell, Giulia Clemente, Danny Gubbay, Tess Marshall, Ezequiel Martinez, Christina Sankari, Charles Upton, Sharon Zeeman
Tickets: $25-30
