Earshot

Earshot is truly unique as an interesting rich idea - cleverly developed, realized and seamlessly presented with wit, humour and irony by Kate Hunter.

Two performers (Kate Hunter and Josephine Lange) dressed in fairly neutral blacks work in beautiful well-oiled synchronicity to play with the spoken word.

It is about hearing, actually – eavesdropping, which puts the emphasis on gossip, rumour and even adds a dash - a soupcon of scandal.  And it is also framed in a respectable, dare I say, middle class world where assumed social mores are firmly positioned as a touchstone, a place of stasis, before the private started to become so very public.  In interrogating what we are prepared to say out loud in public there is some judgment required.

Opening with two performers saying words, that have been composed and scored, it builds into a very satisfying cacophony then moves on.  Production values are superb and the sound engineering by Jem Savage exemplary.   The performance itself exhibits a very successful and fruitful collaboration between all three artists (Hunter, Lange and Savage).

In exploring the intersection of hearing, seeing, watching and interacting it separates out words and plays with them.  This highlights how integrated and integral the sound of the spoken word and voice is in our environment.  In our present age of ‘the image’ it is refreshing and restorative to be reminded of the power of the spoken word.

Unique and quirky instruments have been created most particularly the idiosyncratic pipes for sound to spill out into the audience.  Sit near one if you can.  And there is the droll use of an old tin can on a rope for a phone. 

Both performers are fun and entrancing to watch and transitions are smooth and integrated.

Very soon after my plus one and I jumped on a tram to begin our journey home we acknowledged to each other that we were both thoroughly engaged in eavesdropping on a rather salacious and fascinating story between three women sitting near us.

A sharp, clean, probing and very intelligent and refreshing production.

Suzanne Sandow   

Credits

Concept, creation, performance – Kate Hunter

Performance – Josephine Lange

Electroacoustic design – Jem Savage

Dramaturgy – Glynis Angell

Lighting design – Gina Gascoigne

Music composition – Josephine Lange