The Pulse | Adelaide Festival 2021 review

Physical theatre company Gravity & Other Myths stretches its wings in a genre-busting, absolute knockout of a show.

Pulse. Picture: Hamish McCormick

The Pulse

Physical Theatre / AUS

FESTIVAL

Her Majesty’s Theatre

Until March 3

If COVID has done anything for the Festival it is to enabled Gravity & Other Myths, the international ensemble whose home is Adelaide, to stretch its wings in a genre-busting, absolute knockout of a show.

It is a complete theatrical experience, hand-built on the human body.

The 50 or more performers on stage are moving, dancing, singing and performing extraordinary feats to make a beautiful, awesome grand spectacle. It is a reminder that Adelaide does have the ability to make theatre that matches any of the touring stage ensembles we would hope to see at this time of the year.

It starts with voice in the form of 25-choristers from Aurora, Young Adelaide Voices, counting numbers in a way that suggests minimalism meeting early music, say Phillip Glass meeting John Taverner. The haunting soundscape has been composed by Ekrem Eli Phoenix.

When they are joined on Her Majesty’s large new stage by Gravity’s 30-strong ensemble – all three of Gravity’s usual touring companies – the sheer number make you think of dance more than physical theatre.

And it is truly taking circus arts, and contemporary dance, to a different level. Gravity has been experimenting in this area for some time but here we see a full realisation.

The choir provides a new dimension, its devotional tone setting a quest into the soul of the performers, who could be pilgrims. It is easy to imagine that we are watching a kind of transcendental circus. Is that possible?

Well, when the choir and performers swirl around as in Jewish and Islam devotion and when the mass suddenly parts to reveal shoulder-standing performers whirling acrobats like dervishes, it is not just amazing to watch, it is uncanny.

When a mass of performers raise and spectacularly demolish stupendous structures of bodies, there is a general catharsis rather than applause rather than applause. In fact, applause, the lubricant of circus shows, is barely allowed into this production until the standing ovation at the end.

Choir director Christie Anderson steps forward and scat-sings in powerful full-range down to guttural to writhing dancers; simply a beautiful experience.

Geoff Cobham’s striking yet simple lighting effects include the performers creating a kind of cat’s cradle of ropes in the auditorium, the abstract turned concrete by brilliant colour.

There is room for fun in all this structure. A performer steps on prone bodies to create a grunted human marimba, and the choir takes up the song.

Director Darcy Grant has made something for people to remember, with thanks.