Kissing a Stranger

Through the embodiment of characters as diverse as they are oddly captivating, Anna Lumb’s Kissing a Stranger, which is currently being presented as part of La Mama Theatre’s Celebrating Women Festival, presents a cacophony of short theatrical scenes that leave the audience simultaneously puzzled and entertained.

The 45-minute performance sees Lumb, a seasoned actor, performer, and director who has worked in both circus and burlesque, showcase her various talents in an intimate setting. Whether she is being lowered down onto the stage via a trapeze to Sia’s Chandelier or frankly discussing the intimacy and value in kissing as opposed to sex, Lumb maintains the audience’s intrigue with the fast pace of her show, fitting as much into the short time frame as she can.

Because of the seemingly disparate nature of each vignette, however, any cohesive message or idea is difficult to navigate among the rapidly shifting and exciting visual aesthetic and pulsating soundtrack.

Take this for example: at around the mid-way point, Lumb walks onto the stage in a summery dress, backed by a light, pop soundtrack that wouldn’t go amiss as elevator music sometime during the 1950s. She hands out sheets of paper for everyone before proceeding to instruct the audience on how to fold a paper aeroplane. She then turns, and as audience members begin to throw their creations at her, she screams, and the music morphs into an archetypal, melodramatic horror score.

One could interpret this as challenging the dated, traditional, domestic role of women in society. Another could interpret it as an entertaining way of engaging with the audience in an interactive and participatory way. It may have been both.

Similarly in a scene where Lumb, who is currently pregnant, dances with two back-up performers who have donned fake pregnant bellies to synth-heavy club music, it could be perceived as commentary on the idea of the female body as being abject, breaking through taboos regarding pregnancy and sex.

But because these moments are interspersed with scenes of hula-hoop dancing and Ziggy Stardust homages, it befuddles the audience, who struggle to search for meaning behind her eccentric performances.

There were also moments where Lumb missed her cues, and the correlation between music and dialogue was slightly off, rendering the night slightly unpolished.

At the same time, there was certainly no dearth of entertainment, as Lumb transformed the small theatre space into her own, and the audience stood transfixed, wondering what may come next. The visual style was bright and involved an abundance of golden confetti, and Lumb herself managed to charm the audience with ease, commanding their attention throughout each vignette.

Any substantial message or line of commentary intended to be conveyed by Lumb was buried underneath the discordant mini-performances, however she provided an entertaining, sensual treat, as the night was visually engaging to behold. Lumb’s production is fun, but if you’re searching for something more, you may be left wanting.