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Embers
Presented by: Gardens Theatre, Hothouse Theatre & Sydney Theatre
Company
Venue: Gardens Theatre, Gardens Point, Brisbane
Reviewer: Kellie Scott
Date Reviewed: Friday 30th September 2009
The raging fires that blistered Victoria’s North East in 2003
ignited courage and heartbreak. Campion Decent’s Embers is an
authentic collage of stories from the community who fought to
protect their lives, their homes, and their land.
The monster blaze ripped through the bush at a speed no-one
expected, claiming one life, 40 homes, 1.3 million hectares of land,
and 9000 livestock. The uncontrollable fire that burnt for 59 days
left its black mark in the hearts of many. With one life lost, this
production focused on the immediate and on-going hardships of a bush
fire that may have been overshadowed if there had been a high death
toll. Delving into the less publicized struggles people suffer in
such a disaster created a far-reaching and more thorough insight
into the tragedy.
The scrapbook of stories is based on Decent’s many interviews with
residents of the region. Their personal struggles have been put
together to create a moving illustration of ordinary people dealing
with fear and frustration in an extraordinary circumstance. It gave
the audience a taste for what it would feel like to be there, but as
the characters stated, only going through it would allow someone to
truly understand. With a cast of seven, playing tens of characters,
they delivered a wide range of stories that kept the audience
captivated. However, the lack of climax and a slow warm up hindered
a consistent connection. There were times when the show floated
peacefully from story to story, but other times when the
performances made a powerful impact. Decent deliberately paced the
drama with highs and lows to allow the audience to recover from the
more stirring moments, but instead this wave drew away from the
intensity. A stronger build up to the heart-wrenching stories would
have been more effective, as the scattered technique didn’t evoke as
much emotion as potentially could have been. In saying that, the
less emotional atmosphere kept the overall production down to earth,
allowing the audience to be educated as well as entertained.
The natural performances provided the show with its documentary
feel. The relaxed exchange of story-telling between characters was a
platform for debate over the handling of the fire by the Country
Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
The casual and sometimes heated conversations were periodically
interrupted when the individual characters spoke to the audience
about their personal journeys. Maggie Blinco as a woman who
protected her many rescue animals and pets by carrying them into a
mine shaft was particularly spirited, as too was Tracy Mann as a
cattle owner who battled the loss of her animals and her insurance
company’s insensitivity. Mann’s gut-wrenching account of the blaze
around her home that forced her to take charge took the audience to
centre of the scene.
Set design by Gordon Bur combined with lighting by Martin Kinnane
was a defining element of this production. Ember-like lighting on
the stage floor-boards and a charred forest background created a
stark and eerie atmosphere. Composer Steve Francis’ sound design
linked with the lighting heightened the ‘goosebump’ effect. Never
before have I seen these three elements work together so well. The
result was subtle, almost unnoticeable, which made the experience
all the more real.
Embers
is an emotive and enlightening story about the bush fires as told
from the mouths of those that experienced the horror of the
disaster.
Embers
is currently touring Australia. For tour dates and booking
information please visit
http://www.hothousetheatre.com.au/touring/20097862595.htm.
Kellie Scott reviews for her website
www.brisbanecritiques.com, which was launched in October of
2008. Her reviews can also sometimes be found at
www.absolutetheatre.com.au. Previously her critiques for music
and film have been published in The Catholic Leader and The
Satellite newspapers. She is currently studying Journalism at
university, and hopes to use this to develop her writing skills,
focusing on becoming a professional critic in the future. If you
would like to contact Kellie, please email
kellie@brisbanecritiques.com.
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