WATER

Water may be as old as time itself but the latest offering from British production company Filter and leading UK director David Farr breathes modernity. Brimming with multimedia, the sets and sound design are fresh and exciting. It’s pretty, it pushes boundaries, but with all the smoke and mirrors where is the room for audiences to connect with the drama onstage?

This 90-minute performance follows the story of Englishman Graham (Ferdy Roberts) who after learning of his father’s death from his Canadian half-brother (Oliver Dimsdale) travels to Vancouver. Meanwhile, climate change negotiator Claire (Poppy Miller) is not only battling with world leaders at a G8 summit but with her own commitment issues as well.

The play crosses continents as characters connect via Skype or video conference and life changing events are discovered through news stories reported from across the globe. While the actors masterfully change characters, slip into new accents and create soundscapes with the help of talented composer Tim Phillips, audiences are given very little face-to-face dialogue. Perhaps a metaphor for contemporary life: with social media we’ve never been so connected to the world around us, yet how “connected” are we really?

This play is beautiful and enchanting right down to the very last unforgettable scene, but a poignant sadness resonates. The world may be at our fingertips but it is also collapsing around us and in the end we are all alone.

Until Sep 22, Sydney Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $40-79, 9250 1777, sydneytheatre.org.au