December 11, 2009
i-witness concerns a book that changed the lives of its performers. The book in question is "The Rings Of Saturn" by W G Sebald: the story of a man who goes for a walk in East Anglia. Not the most exciting of premises, you may think, but the cast do their damnedest to prove otherwise. Relying on everything from percussion instruments to projection screens and audience interaction, the four players basically come across as crazy fans determined to make you buy or read the book, to make you see things in the same light as they claim to after reading it. The play is, in the cast's own words, "the story of our obsession."
A highly interesting and unusual production, i-witness serves as a testament to the power of reading and literature. Although the theatrics can grate a bit, you can't help but admire the players' enthusiasm and eagerness for their subject matter. In one particularly bizarre sequence, the performers break out into an impromptu version of the Velvet Underground classic "I'll Be Your Mirror", a song that is played repeatedly on a record player throughout much of the duration of the play's second half. The play ends with the cast members literally hammering and sawing away at a wooden table, clad in surgeon masks. Yep, it's THAT type of production !
Obscure, but always entertaining, i-witness is a highly engaging piece of avant-garde theatre. Copies of the book were being sold after the show ended, to further hammer the point of the production in. Due to lack of change, I was unable to buy one, but it certainly makes you curious as to what delights may be hidden therein. Well worth a look.
A highly interesting and unusual production, i-witness serves as a testament to the power of reading and literature. Although the theatrics can grate a bit, you can't help but admire the players' enthusiasm and eagerness for their subject matter. In one particularly bizarre sequence, the performers break out into an impromptu version of the Velvet Underground classic "I'll Be Your Mirror", a song that is played repeatedly on a record player throughout much of the duration of the play's second half. The play ends with the cast members literally hammering and sawing away at a wooden table, clad in surgeon masks. Yep, it's THAT type of production !
Obscure, but always entertaining, i-witness is a highly engaging piece of avant-garde theatre. Copies of the book were being sold after the show ended, to further hammer the point of the production in. Due to lack of change, I was unable to buy one, but it certainly makes you curious as to what delights may be hidden therein. Well worth a look.