Time’s Journey Through a Room

Time’s Journey Through a Room
Playwright/Director: Toshiki Okada. AsiaTOPA / Chelfisch. Arts House Melbourne. 9 – 11 February, 2017.

From the moment I entered the theatre I felt wrapped in a sense of suspense. The neat set design and the actor who entered the stage so quietly the audience didn’t notice her until she started to speak. I expected an experience like nothing I’d ever had before.

Everything about this performance was mesmerising. Ghost wife Honoka’s gentle but focussed gaze on her husband; the intonation of her voice as she reflected on her final days with him; the way he sat with his back to the audience for much of the play, at times squirming so his feet didn’t touch the ground; how he moved into a squat position when she spoke about the earthquake.

The set and sound design were almost another character in the show. The actors stroked the furniture. The lighting flashed to reflect mood or simulate weather. A clock ticked as time was discussed. The actors spoke in gentle, lyrical tones.

As the show ended, its air of mystery remained. I felt as though I didn’t fully understand its message. I didn’t quite grasp what change the characters were so hopeful for in the days following the earthquake. I wondered if I would have understood it better if I knew more about Japan?

Seeing this show helped me realise the void in my knowledge. We’re so surrounded in Australia by art and media from other English-speaking cultures, at least I feel I am. I understand so many cultural references from the United States, Britain, even European countries like France and Italy, because I’ve seen them so many times. This was not the case for me watching Time’s Journey Through a Room.

And that was the joy of it. That’s why I’m so grateful for the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (AsiaTOPA). Over four months and across venues in Melbourne and regional Victoria, we have the opportunity to get to know our neighbours’ cultures a little,  to experience things that might be new and exciting, to broaden our knowledge and understand each other a little better.

Sophia Dickinson

Photographer: Bryony Jackson

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