About Remembering

Remembering can be a tricky exercise; selective memory, burying memories, preserving memories, provide insight into the psyche and daily activities around remembering can be both a source of frustration and immense joy. All of these themes are explored in this play by deliberately and playfully forgetting the basic rules of theatre. The boundaries between performer and spectator are explored in a new and interesting mode, and linear narrative, memorising lines, traditional staging, focal points and character development are all dispensed with and replaced with spontaneous improvisation.

The performers manage this theatrical challenge with ardour combined with tongue-in-cheek humour, under the direction of Lloyd Jones, renowned avant-garde collaborator at La Mama. While the performance took some time to take off and warm up, the experiment was entirely worth the wait. The non-confrontational nature of the audience interaction drove home many of the points the performance was making about the challenges of remembering.

An interesting use of vocal range accompanies the often-mesmerising action. Some elements, such as Chinese whispers or interrogating the audience, could have been developed further to invite even greater audience involvement. This is the final piece in EXPLORATIONS 2015 and truly lives up to the spirit of this series, which aims to test new waters and break boundaries.  This production provides an excellent note upon which to close this charming theatrical adventure.

Patricia Di Risio