The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave saw a crowd of chic, young Melburnians shuffled into a barren room at Abbotsford Convent. The LED lights around the floor were a dim blue, illuminating three figures pulsing back and forth in the far corner. What followed was over an hour of non-stop movement from performers Oli Mathiesen, Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer as they delivered a devised interpretation of days-long raves for the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Mathiesen, who was also the work’s creator and choreographer, explored movement that aligned with club and rave culture. Turns, kicks and jumps associated with contemporary dance were rarely seen, Mathiesen preferring sharp staccato sequences that refer to club styles like waacking. The production had its finger on the pulse of ‘cool’, with a dance aesthetic that shared similarities to recent ad campaigns from Calvin Klein and Gap. It was easy to imagine the ferocity, synchronicity and visual intrigue of the shapes the three performers made going viral online.
But it was the long-form, constant movement and sheer endurance on display that elevated The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave from satisfying eye candy to a transformative journey. Oscillating between “they’re still going?” and “they’re still going!”, it didn’t take long to want to jump in and bop along with the trio – to let one’s body respond organically to the thrumming of the soundtrack.
Mathiesen had a keen sense of pacing, moving into a new segment almost as soon as the former started to get repetitive. This was often marked by changing lighting or moving between the two spaces in the theatre, which saw the audience clamber around the space trying to keep the performers in view (for those considering attending upcoming shows in Sydney, be prepared to stand or sit on the floor). Mathiesen’s playful lighting choices paid homage to club favourites like fluorescent and strobe lighting.
This production oozed confidence, from the performances to the delivery of Mathiesen’s well-developed vision. There were moments where the choreography got messy, the trio slurring precise moves together or landing positions with a tired floppiness, but this natural reaction to overworking the body aligned well with the production’s themes.
Read: Theatre review: Berlin, Flight Path Theatre
The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave was a unique and exciting work that was a pleasure to experience.
The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave
Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
Performers: Oli Mathiesen, Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer
The Flower Who Flew Into The Rave was performed 11-12 October as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
