Jennifer, single and 42 years old, takes a nostalgic journey from her Sydney flat to an annual beach festival to watch whales surface. It is a repeat of the holidays she took as a child and she hopes to meet up with a man from the previous year with whom she felt a mutual attraction.

The Festival is more intimate and personal than the previous parts of the Lone Twin Theatre’s Catastrophe Trilogy. This concentration on individuals emphasises how, subjectively, events such as the death of one parent and the growing estrangement from the other and the failure of a hoped-for romance to materialise can be every bit as catastrophic for those involved as disasters that affect hundreds. More importantly it demonstrates that it is possible to survive such problems.

Directors Gary Winters and Gregg Whelan create a light tone for the play. It is, however, funny in the sense of being peculiar, which results in the audience being puzzled as much as amused.

The story is told by the cast (Antoine Fraval, Guy Dartnell, Molly Haslund, Nadia Cusimano, Nina Tecklenburg and Paul Gazzola) using a variety of techniques. Sections of the narrative are sung rather than spoken and dance and mime are used throughout the show.

However, the story takes place in an alternate reality in which the characters have an ironic awareness that using these methods is a bit odd. When asked what she would like for the future Jennifer’s mother replies that it would be best if everyone stopped singing. The barrier between audience and performers is breached with the characters sharing our surprise that Bruce Springsteen and U2 have been booked to play the festival.

The cast have collaborated to create the play and it shows in its slightly disjointed nature.It feels like the show has been developed in isolated sections and assembled in committee. As a result there is a lot of repetition that gives the play a bloated feeling despite its brief duration. Democracy may not be the best way of developing plays as one author working alone might have eliminated these distractions.

It is unfortunate that the play should be staged in 2010. Lone Twin are a company that takes pride in being original yet they have created a play in which popular songs are performed in close harmony, at a time when the TV show Glee, which does the same thing, is at its peak giving the misleading impression that the company are following, rather than setting, trends.

The lighter tone and more optimistic outlook are very welcome. One hopes that Lone Twin Theatre will be able to revise their collaborative technique to maintain their originality but minimise the self-indulgence that slightly spoils this play.

- Dave Cunningham

 

In London’s Postman’s Park there is a memorial to people who lost their lives trying to save others. This inspires the second part of Lone Twin Theatre’s Catastrophe Trilogy created and performed by the six members of the company (Antoine Fraval, Guy Dartnell, Molly Haslund, Nadia Cusimano, Nina Tecklenburg and Paul Gazzola). It is easy to see the attraction for the company as the concept illustrates the best in humanity along with the stark awareness that sometimes this just isn’t enough.

Considering the potential of the material the actual realisation is disappointingly sterile. The opening section comes close to formulaic. The narrator bangs a drum to get our attention (that quickly gets annoying) and encourages us to have regard to the elements such as fire and water that led to the deaths of the would-be heroes. He introduces us to the rest of the cast who identify their characters by recounting the actions they performed and miming the outcomes.

This countdown through the fallen gets a bit monotonous and you start to long for a bit of variety. Yet when this comes, it feels too much like an attempt at novelty for the sake of it. The story of a heroic policeman who died rescuing a family from a burning building is told in a rather silly song that seems a strange way of acknowledging sacrifice. It is never clear if the play is celebrating the heroism of these people, mourning their loss to the world or drawing attention to the ridiculousness of the situation.

Directors Gary Winters and Gregg Whelan have the cast adopt a stylised method of acting emphasising that, whilst commendable, this type of action seems almost contrary to our nature. Unfortunately this approach makes it hard to become emotionally engaged. It also reduces the contribution that the cast can make to the play as they function more as parts of a uniform group rather than recognisable individuals.
 
The directors do, however, maintain interest by using a range of techniques including mime and dance and occasionally pull the various elements together into a satisfying whole. An actor struggling through various obstacles to attempt a rescue at one corner of the stage only to have to turn around to another and start over again illustrates the impossibility of trying to rescue everyone.

Daniel Hit by a Train is a confusing play. It tackles an emotional and deeply moving theme but does so in such a stylised manner as to limit the involvement of the audience leaving us observers rather than participants.

- Dave Cunningham