As the audience enters, the performers settle and place themselves and the props in the space, moving fake grass and office chairs, testing, making themselves comfortable, then rearranging, realigning objects with one another, adding and resettling as they go, with obvious considerations and importance on the specific placement.
Zoë McNicholas’ abstract, corporate style costumes are worn with white shirts and misplaced parts of other shirts, combined over grey pants.
“We have all the love to give, so let’s start!”
Weichu Huang and Natasha Kohler sit in front of us on stereotypical blue office chairs, their facial expression and physical mannerisms minute to begin with. The action grows, the music pumps and the performers move themselves into the groove that the jazzy vibe offers. Exaggeration of action, pace, building to a frenzy, manic, then a collapse.
First day highs and information overload, perhaps. Keen as mustard and ready for work? Then what?
Smoke fills the space as the fake grass (symbolic of the Microsoft XP screen saver!) and chairs are repositioned into another aspect of the corporate world. Lanyard-clad Huang eats half a sandwich. Kohler, meanwhile, briefcase in hand, moves through the office space, gesturing internalised conversations, showing the long hours that some workplaces expect. Unison voices explain the workplace etiquette, and some humorous moments evolve and provide valued light relief.
“ We see you, we value you” is repeatedly spoken with exaggerated handshakes and directed movement, controlling, pushing, placing, manipulating, perhaps indicating the control that some workplaces have over their employees.
The movement that occurs in the Well-being room, tongue-in-cheek yoga-like positions with stretches and specific breathing, is subtly humorous with additions of high-five hands and feet moments! The dystopian place to recover from the wilds of the office.
Two highlights of this work are, firstly, the unison duo dancing to “It goes yah”. This dynamic dance section displays great breath-initiated movement, focusing on the partnering, repetitive robotic ticks and stillness. Secondly, there is the counterbalance, pressure-connected duo that shows fluid jump-to-floor transitions and beautiful musical timings. Additional dance of this calibre is needed, to firstly show the skill and expertise that these dancers have and, secondly, to explore the concept of the perils of corporate drudgery through more specific choreographed sequences. Much of the piece seems overly gesture-bound with randomised movement qualities.
Janis Chang’s lighting adds texture and location to the work. In particular, it captures the macabre sense of the business mogul with a superb triangular downlight and shafts of thin light, perhaps representing tiny slivers of the real world outside, daring to enter the workplace.
The stimulus for this piece was the TV show Severence. However, as one who is not familiar with the show, which I understand is a highly regarded comedy, sci-fi, dystopian satire, I can only comment on what I see in the space tonight.
This work has much potential. The dancers are talented and unique in style and form. However, viewing this work without the television show perspective, does remind me that not all workplaces are negative, controlling, manipulative environments, and perhaps this work is, dare I say, an anachronistic view of corporate workplaces in the real world today.
Review by Helen Balfour