Krash Test Kulture

Krash Test Kulture
La Mama Courthouse (VIC). Komissar Kabaret & Canto Coro. December 2 – 19, 2010

“MULTIMEDIA… KABARET… CHOIR… MULTICULTURAL ENSEMBLE… NEW CUTTING-EDGED INTERKULTURAL KABAOPERA”

Directed and co-written by Ella Filar, Melbourne’s “Queen of Cabaret” (Inpress), Krash Test Kulture tells the story of Shazza, an Aussie bogan, and Rashid, a medical student from Bangladesh. When Shazza opens her heart to Rashid “she opens her legs” and her (also bogan) father vehemently disagrees with the relationship and ensuing wedding, resulting in him shooting Rashid. The recurring message of the show was that, when we all bleed, our blood is the same colour – no matter the colour of our skin.

Shocking and abruptly confronting, the show appeared to imply that all Australians are violently and aggressively racist towards multicultural people, not simply ‘bogans.’ I would have liked the TOMs, DICKs, HARRYs, and MARYs to slowly morph into ‘DICKs’ throughout the show – unsubtle but unmistakably clear that not all social groups treat multi-cultural members of the community this way.

Poor diction caused about half of the lyrics to be lost and the supplied songbook was a great idea but useless in the low-light conditions. The flagrant use of multimedia bordered on unnecessary – too blunt, and (for example) the image of the vagina tree appeared to serve more as shock value than a meaningful supplement to the drama. Interesting creative decisions included a tango-fight (as the tango normally symbolizes sex), and the use of a phallic balloon pump to simulate Shazza and Rashid’s intercourse and impregnation.

Confusing and concerning, Krash Test Kulture could have said so much if it weren’t quite so petulant.

Ian Nisbet

Photographer: Jenny Hyatt

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