Orion – Sound Bath At Adelaide Planetarium: A Heavenly Trip Through The Galaxy ~ Adelaide Fringe 2019 Review

[VISUAL ARTS AND DESIGN/PERFORMANCE ~ SA] UNISA – Mawson Lakes, Thu 28 Feb. Hidden away on the Uni SA’s Mawson Lakes campus is the Adelaide Planetarium, the setting for our performance tonight. Featuring an impressive domed ceiling, analogue and digital planetarium projectors and three rings of very comfortable reclining seats it’s an amazing space. The talented Darren Curtis and Bradley Pitt of Sacred Resonance hosted the show, creating a rich soundscape from a variety of digital audio devices, sampled sounds and crystal and bronze singing bowls. Uniquely, the constellation of Orion was the source of some of these sounds, with the radio signals emitted by the stars transformed into audible sounds. The evening started with the analogue projector wowing the audience with a very realistic depiction of the night sky. Had there been the sounds of insects we could easily have been fooled into thinking we were outdoors, gazing at the stars. After a brief introduction to some well-known stellar objects we relaxed for a while into the serene and ethereal music surrounding us whilst the stars slowly whirled overhead. This tableau then changed when the high resolution digital projector joined the show and a series of images danced across the dome, pictographs and sacred symbols from a myriad of ancient cultures. Then we were treated to an amazing journey through the heavens as if we were sailing in a starship… exquisitely detailed images from ground-based telescopes and the Hubble space telescope and digital recreations of the stars and constellations enveloped us. A quote from the late Douglas Adams came to mind, “Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is!” and I found myself feeling humbled and small (in a good way). A uniquely moving experience and one not to be missed. 4 stars Anthony Ellis Orion – Sound Bath At Adelaide Planetarium continues at UNISA, Mawson Lakes from 8pm until Sun 3 Mar. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ADLfringe