DEMO: Dance, Identity And Human Nature ~ Adelaide Fringe 2024 Review

[THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE/Performance Art ~ NSW ~ SA PREIMERE] Studio 166 at Goodwood Theatre and Studios, Sun 25 Feb, 2024. Even her name Melody Rachel already signals that she leaves her options open. She playfully offers us choices in a range of standard opposites. The audience are invited to choose and claim theirs, literally taking sides. Melody has a quirky energy, yet intense focus on each gesture. The smallest move develops to become a major shift, and vice versa. Along with expressive dance, Melody uses silence throughout her show, and the written word. While we can agree with your right to protest, the danger with written signs on placards is associating them with didactic lessons. It also reduces things to labels, which are not always indicative of what they contain. They may not mean the same to each of us, or be real adversaries. Her smile belies all this, welcoming us to join in the fun process of creating our own demo. I think we are aware that polarisation of binary positions not only persists, it seems to be growing stronger. This performance poses a plea to explore the space in-between. It is there that a confused struggle takes place, in a physical attempt to ‘work out’ the dilemma. Perhaps some synthesis could be suggested, some seed of hope sown in the no mans land between the two extremes. But that area is being badly bombed, a risky place to be. It tales a brave warrior to go there, to weave and dodge and attempt to survive. As Rumi says, ‘There is a field between all notions of right and wrong. Come, meet me there.’ One of the roles of theatre is to ask questions artfully, presented in an entertaining package. The answers are for us to formulate, each in their own way, in our own worlds. Melody Rachel provides us with the opportunity to take responsibility for our selections. Created and performed by Melody Rachel. 4 Stars David Cronin #ClotheslineMag #ADLfringe