At an early point during seven kilometres north-east, performer Kym Vercoe teaches us two Greek words: ethnos ‘our people’ and ethnikos ‘other people’.
It’s an important distinction that forms the basis for many conflicts throughout world history, including the relatively recent Bosnian genocide, or so-called ‘ethnic cleansing’. One of the most notorious massacre sites was Visegrad, where Bosniaks were slaughtered daily by Bosnian Serbs on the town’s iconic bridge; their bodies were then disposed of in the river Drina.
Vercoe has visited Bosnia three times. At first, fuelled by dancing and Slivovitz, a plum brandy, she became entranced by the natural beauty of the region, much of which can be seen in projections from video artist, Sean Bacon, playing throughout the show. Armed with a Bradt guide and a copy of the 1961 book, The Bridge over the Drina, Vercoe spent a night in a spa hotel outside Visegrad. On her return to Australia, she was shocked to discover that the hotel, seven kilometres north east of the town, had a dark history. Over several subsequent visits, Vercoe attempted to reconcile her love for the country with its brutal history; the subject of which forms the basis for seven kilometres north-east.
This is a stunningly powerful piece. Vercoe’s personal anecdotes, accompanied by Bacon’s images and broken into sections by songs from Sladjana Hodzic, take the audience on a journey from beauty into the bowels of humanity. Her questions and attitudes are familiar to travellers who’ve visited scenes of atrocities; when visiting such places it becomes almost second nature to see the sinister in normal activities, or to wonder at the involvement of those around. Work tools become weapons, men may be rapists or murderers, women are possible collaborators. Vercoe questions the extent to which we should let the past go, to allow Bosnia to regenerate, while respecting the many thousands killed.
The energy Vercoe brings to this performance is phenomenal and deeply moving. Bacon adds to his impressive resume with a well-chosen series of videos, projected onto the beautifully designed backdrop of the set by Erth Visual and Physical Inc. The darkening in mood as the show progresses is aided by the excellent lighting design of Emma Lockhart Wilson. Musical director Sladjana Hodzic, a former conductor of the Sarajevo City Choir, adds another level of authenticity to the show, performing several pieces in her native language. She is at her best in the haunting song at the end. Several earlier performances seem to lack emotion, although this may be attributed to minor cultural differences.
Good theatre provokes conversation; seven kilometres north-east is no different. Rather than preaching or imposing her views on her audience here or in Bosnia, Vercoe presents a moving piece that causes us to remember an appalling time and formulate our own thoughts on dealing with the past in the present. The title of the feature film based on Vercoe’s show, For those who can tell no tales, sums up why such works exist; seven kilometres north-east is for those whose stories will never be heard.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
seven kilometres north-east
Presented by Version 1.0
Devised and Performed by Kym Vercoe
Video artist:Sean Bacon
Set and Prop Construction: Erth Visual and Physical Inc.
Dramaturgy: Deborah Pollard
Singer: Sladjana Hodžić
Lighting Designer: Emma Lockhart-Wilson
Producer: Anna Messariti
General Manager version 1.0: Cathy Murdoch
Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale
www.seymourcentre.com
8-22 March
