Bunny: Brilliantly Blurring the Performance Lines Between Submission, Connection, Control and Consent at Nexus Arts – OzAsia Review

[SINGAPORE/AUSTRALIA ~ SA PREMIERE] Nexus Arts, Fri 23 Sept. Control is a funny thing. Give us too much, and we run amok; too little, and we spin around, hanging on a thread. Boundaries are relaxed and then tested in Luke George and Daniel Kok’s Bunny, a rope bondage performance where anything can happen and the audience is fair game. Using all manner of knots and bondage techniques, the audience is invited into a world of domination and submission as George suspends both bodies and disbelief. Bunny is thick with atmosphere; sound and lack thereof both play a role in building anticipation while allowing time for the tying of the elaborate knots which are the show’s stock in trade. Before long, the entire audience comes under the spell, and we do not know what will happen next, who will be chosen, or how our buttons might be pushed. The audience surrounds the performance space such that our faces are apparent to those across from us, our reactions to the artists’ provocations part of the fun, especially if we become entangled in the action onstage. As the work progresses, we are slowly enmeshed in a communal exercise exploring freedom, safety, consent, violation, and connection. Luke George is in control for the most part, rarely speaking, but with kindness and purpose when he does, always polite and respectful, dispatching whimsical instructions with perfect timing. Daniel Kok begins the performance in submission, but eventually is allowed to silently work his talents upon the proceedings as well. A lot can happen in two hours, even when tying and tied up in knots. The deliberate pace never drags, and even during lulls, the audience is hushed in anticipation. By the time the performance is complete, we have bonded, learned, laughed, empathised, and respected each other, wordlessly forming a shared connection in space and time. Matt Saunders Bunny continues at Nexus Arts, Morphett St, from 9pm until Sat 24 Sep. Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au or ozasiafestival.com.au. Click HERE for preview videos and to purchase your tickets. Cover image courtesy of Chris Frape Centre image courtesy of Bernie Ng