Following the acclaimed Driving into Walls, onefivezeroseven takes a frank look at modern Australian teen life through the window of a world of personal possessions.
Abundant research and true-life contributions from a broad cross-section of young Australians form the basis for the content of Barking Gecko’s latest offering: onefivezeroseven. Based on this research, writer Suzie Miller and director John Sheedy, have concluded that 1,507 is the medium number of items that an Australian teenager keeps in their bedroom, and have gone on from this premise to prepare not only a portrait of the current younger generation, but also to voice a manifesto of a more humane Australia in the years to come.
Each performer takes a solo piece, introducing a character, while the rest of the cast work around them in various situations. Some offer straightforward introductions, such as their name and address, subsequently rattling off a list of the possessions in their bedrooms. Others give more nuanced descriptions, such as the boy who is obsessed by his headphones. These pieces are all engagingly delivered, and there is plenty of humour in the recounting of objects. Lists of objects extend further than simple itemisation and serve to highlight the child-to-adult crossover of this demographic. For example, stones nostalgically preserved from a family holiday are juxtaposed with sex toys in the same inventory.
Yilin Kong is engaging as the duck-obsessed 16 year-old from Adelaide; Harrison Elliott hangs out in a closet with remarkable cool; Jacinta Larcombe charms with her vivacious contributions; Toby Derrick proves himself equally comfortable in gorilla head mask and superhero jocks; and Rikki Bremner emotes effectively from within a couch. While some of these performers are acting for the first time, there is no way of telling from the consistently high quality witnessed across the cast. The stand-out solo performance comes from Mohammed-Adel Berrached, portraying a young Australian from Lebanon, who delivers his monologue in Arabic, with two interpreters – one for English and one for Auslan. From the trauma of his childhood memories to the incidental racism of his daily Australian life, this is one character for whom ‘things’ are not as important as his own personal integrity.
Monologues are broken up by a dizzying diversity of ensemble scenes, from childhood games, the representation of statistics on teen activities, to political manifestos for the next generation. These are accessible pieces, not overly dance-y, with plenty of physical humour. The stand-out scene here is a military-style drill that segues into a dance celebrating the teen view of a certain Australian politician – to say any more would to give away the sight gag that makes this so hilariously memorable. Here, the list is of things that need to change, of accusations levelled at the generations who have gone before, and of promises to create a kinder nation when they are allowed to participate.
Not just a chance for young people to say their piece, but an even more valuable opportunity for adults to listen, onefivezeroseven goes beyond its assured production values, beyond the accomplished dance skills of its performers, beyond its polished script, to create something that exceeds expectations in terms of entertainment, information-sharing and awareness-raising. Barking Gecko steps out beyond its award-winning shows that encourage children to think and learn, to produce a show that challenges adults to do the same.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
onefivezeroseven
Barking Gecko Theatre Company
By Suzie Miller
Director / Designer: John Sheedy
Choreographer: Danielle Micich
Costume Designer: Alicia Clements
Lighting Designer: Matthew Marshall
Sound Designer: Kingsley Reeve
Directing Secondment: Eva Mullaley
Cultural Consultant: Kyle J Morrison
Production Manager: Genevieve Jones
Stage Manager: Natalie Moir
Performed by Mohammed-Adel Berrached, Rikki Bremner, Toby Derrick, Harrison Elliott, Yilin Kong and Jacinta Larcombe
Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge
Perth International Arts Festival
www.perthfestival.com.au
22 February – 1 March
