‘The River Ghost’ Explores A Different Kind Of Grief

The gentle sounds of flute and piano set the scene for Anna Rushmer’s The River Ghost, a combination of music and theatre making Camperdown’s unique performance space Flow Studios its home for Sydney Fringe Festival. The serenely sorrowful sounds set the stage perfectly for the show about to take place – a poignant exploration of grief and its downstream impact on our lives.

The River Ghost is the tale of two sisters and the river that forever binds them. When Lorelei (Ella Roper) drowns in the river of their small hometown, Bertie (Miranda Hutley) refuses to accept the death of her sister. She continues to see Lorelei everywhere, letting her sister control her life as the river she disappeared into also stagnates.

There’s no shortage of art exploring the impact of grief on the human psyche, but The River Ghost touches on an element of this indescribably difficult feeling that many other tales don’t: the way that it can completely absorb your life if you let it. Bertie’s struggles with grief are constant as the memory of Lorelei seemingly takes physical form and reminds her of the guilt she feels for her death.

In this show, the titular river is not a clean metaphor for any one thing but an evocative image that seems to reflect Bertie’s mental state most regularly. As her own life stagnates, so too does the river transform from a flourishing ecosystem into a still lake as she tries to find the memories of her sister within it.

A show that navigates the downstream effects of grieving

As in many other pieces of art, water in The River Ghost has the capacity to represent both the coldness of death and the potential of life. Both of these elements are on display here through choreographed dance sequences that feel like the flow of the river, and regularly surreal dialogue that can leave you feeling like you’re drowning in the past.

The River Ghost’s tone does take some time to acclimate to, given its somewhat surrealist leanings. However, once attuned to its wavelengths, you’ll find that its three performers – Roper, Hutley and Rushmer – are doing something quite interesting here, even if the unique setup of Flow Studios sometimes felt like it wasn’t quite the right home for the show.

Nonetheless, The River Ghost does sincerely explore the nature of grief from a wholly unique angle. Rather than explore its immediate impact, it navigates the flow-on effect as the years go by in a manner I found sincerely poignant, especially as it draws to a close. For its unique take, engaging direction and interesting performances, The River Ghost is well worth seeing as part of this Sydney Fringe season.

The River Ghost is playing at Flow Studios, Camperdown until Sunday 27th September for Sydney Fringe Festival.