2007: Sydney Festival: Small Metal Objects by Back to Back Theatre

Sydney Festival: Small Metal Objects by Back to Back Theatre, directed by Bruce Gladwin, at Customs House Square, Circular Quay.  January 8-13, 15-20, 22-25 at 5.30pm and January 11-12, 18-19, 22-25 at 7.30pm(one hour,no interval).  www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Strangely sad while terribly funny, Small Metal Objects is street theatre to die laughing for.  The plot taking place between the characters Steve (Simon Laherty), Greg (Allan Watt), Alan (Jim Russell) and Carolyn (Genevieve Morris) is probably based on a misunderstanding exacerbated particularly by Steve’s genuine but seemingly doomed attempt to become more self-aware and find a girlfriend who would be willing to move in with him.  Greg is always willing to help and will not leave Steve knowing he can’t really fend for himself, while corporate lawyer Alan and corporate psychologist Carolyn believe Greg and Steve can supply them with the illicit “gear” they need to entertain, in an hour’s time, a bunch of lawyers.

But the next layer of the plot is also based on misapprehension.  Only the audience, literally, sitting on the bleachers with their headphones on, can hear what the characters are saying, to each other and on their mobiles.  The passing crowd at Circular Quay can see the audience, may be aware that there is something going on between some people on the concourse, but with no knowledge that this is theatre being performed.  Many find the audience of great interest, especially when they laugh for apparently no reason.  Many take photos of the audience.

When two police officers (real, not actors) apparently innocently walked through, the audience erupted in laughter as the characters tried desperately to complete their “deal”.  One group of young men might have become a problem for Simon Laherty, standing stock still in deep thought and dressed in an old singlet looking very daggy.  Fortunately after some laughter at his (really Steve’s) expense, they moved along, only to find a woman standing still, talking on her mobile.  They began to be unpleasantly amused at her, when she had nothing to do with the theatre performance of which both she and the young men were unaware.  But in fact the police stayed handy, and fortunately nothing too untoward happened.        

The result was the best, even if potentially risky, street theatre I have ever seen.  For us with the headphones, amusement came from both the performers and their expert presentation, and from the reactions of the unaware passers by.  Yet concurrently we felt the sadness of people’s failure to communicate, sometimes through inability but often merely through incomprehensible circumstances.  I left theatrically satisfied, yet with socially problematical thoughts – rather like the character Steve.  You should certainly experience Small Metal Objects if you have the opportunity.

© Frank McKone, Canberra