Darkness – REVIEW
Image: Imogen Sage. Photo: Phil Erbacher
Theatregoers who are fatigued by attending shows which may be regarded as the ‘same old same old’ should come along and experience this non-conventional and highly unique performance.
Best described as an original site-responsive theatrical production the story is inspired by that stormy weekend in 1816 when a group of storytellers including Mary Shelley came together in an old abandoned house where Frankenstein was conceived.
A special site which was originally the old Newtown School Of Arts has been set up for Darkness. It’s an old building known as The Library and nestled in the middle of Newtown.
From the moment audiences enter the building, the outside world quickly fades into darkness. The past, the present and the future all intertwine incorporating a museum of lost things – antique cabinets containing old wares, dolls, animal skulls and other unsettling artefacts from a bygone era.
This atmospheric and haunting entrance to the building sets the mood and anticipation accelerates once everyone is seated in the dark, gothic and somewhat sinister theatre.
The thunderous roar signals the commencement of the performance as the lights dim and audiences quickly settle down after quietly gasping at the creativeness of the set and lighting design.
The story centers on eight people who come together in an old house and tell horror stories, personal issues being exposed as their reputations are challenged.
It’s mysterious, gothic, eerie and seductive with uninhibited storytelling that ultimately leads to darkness and an incredible explosion of emotions.
Themes of uncertainty, death, and homosexuality are explored, the good, the evil, everlasting life, and the grim nature of the world.
The creepy tales of doom and gloom as told by these ‘eight faces of the night’ from darkness until the sun rises, may mystify, disturb, and possibly horrify audiences. The ominous atmosphere created is unbearably intoxicating, compounded by the sensuality, the nudity, and the rollercoaster of emotions.
This is ideal theatre for ‘a thinking audience’ but the long passages of dialogue which are seemingly poetic in style may lead to incoherence for the less attentive.
Ninety minutes in duration and seating for 150 people, this theatrical rarity is ‘very Newtown’ and should appeal to niche audiences who enjoy being mentally stimulated by atypical but very professional theatre.
Remember….once you step inside The Library the outside world as we know it ceases to exist….
Until March 12
The Library, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown
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