HalfWorld

Here’s a school holiday entertainment for the children of ‘arty’ families. Inside a carpet-strewn tent apparently made from blankets and sheets, Matriark Art Theatre’s talented collective of performers and artists explore dreams and myths.

Artistically, the 60-minute show under director Scott Parker is quite brilliant. But this is no conventional kids’ adventure, no panto: the 6-and-over target audience must connect the disparate events and images as they may.

There’s no doubting the group’s theatrical originality. You enter the intimate Redfern performance space to find lines of sheets pegged on washing lines. Mr Boy (Corey Willis) introduces his quest to find his missing twin brother and a magically rapid change converts the room into a Bedouin tent with entrances on all sides. The design by Aleisa Jelbart is now perfect for Mr Boy’s encounters with all manner of creatures.

Playwright Robert den Engelsman’s narrative is far from straightforward. There are scraps of stories as, guided by The Moon, Mr Boy proceeds Alice-like through HalfWorld, meeting hand-puppet birds, a villainous detective, scary floating witches, and animals both friendly and monstrous.

Each encounter is rich enough but the younger members of this particular audience become restive. There is no ‘happy ending’. Outside, my own young companions have plenty of questions that I have trouble answering.

This is not to undervalue the exceptional quality of this dedicated group’s design, sound and lighting; nor the physical expertise and humour of performers Emily McGowan, Thomas Albert, Nicholas O’Regan and Alice Keohavong.

Frank Hatherley 

Photographer: Lucy Parakhina