If you like theatre that’s experimental, that explores style, genre and form, Dead Cargo is the play for you.
If, on the other hand, you like your theatre to have a story, character development or to make sense then you might be better off choosing another show!
Dead Cargo is a piece of absurdist theatre: the more you try to find meaning, the more frustrated you’re likely to feel. But if you let it wash over you as an experience, there’s heaps to enjoy in this production. I found myself completely entranced by the first half, but have to admit the novelty began to wear thin a fair way before the end.
Tim Dashwood is mesmerising in the production. His precision and commitment as a physical performer are phenomenal and combined with his vocal ability they make him an absolute stand out. I would have loved to have seen him apply the Meyerhold techniques the show uses to a stronger script.
Tim DashwoodCreating new work is dangerous. It’s also an imperative if we’re to have any sort of growing and reflective culture. So it’s quite strange and uncomfortable for me to write that I think this production would have benefitted from using an existing script as its basis rather than creating a new piece.
Perhaps it’s because of the form. The physical elements of Dead Cargo – the way the actors moved their bodies; Phil Slade’s strong and eerie sound design; Jason Glenwright’s stunning lighting and the artfully cluttered set – all work together to make exciting connections. Adding an overly verbose script to the mix was just one element too many. At least that’s my opinion.
Dead Cargo features four performers trapped in some sort of limbo. I made connections and created a story that worked for me, but that I don’t think was intended by the artists. It’s a play that’s completely open to interpretation and that asks far more questions than it answers. In fact, it may not answer any.
Nigel Poulton has directed the piece (as well as acting in it and co-writing it with Tim Dashwood) extremely well. The movement is gorgeous to watch, more balletic than violent, although violence is probably what some audiences expect given Nigel’s reputation as one of Australia’s top fight choreographers.
Deb SampsonTim Dashwood’s character is edgy, prone to violent outbursts and desperate, a nice foil for Deb Sampson’s character, who chatters almost incessantly. Deb manages to walk a fine line between friendly and menacing in her portrayal and navigates the watery obstacles in the set with ease. The two performers establish an uneasy truce before the arrival of Belinda Raisin as the stranger who suddenly appears in their insular world.
Belinda’s physicality is excellent and she makes strong use of the red suitcase which appears to be her character’s lifeline to another world. The fourth character in this strange subterranean piece is played by Nigel Poulton. He enters and exits wordlessly, demanding objects and passing them on, all the more powerful for his lack of speech. Unfortunately this device is dropped near the end of the play when Nigel’s character delivers a monologue that divests him of his mystery and his power, but that doesn’t help the audience understand him or the play any better.
Belinda RaisinHaving said all this, I still think Dead Cargo is well worth seeing as an example of fine theatrical craft and an exploration of form and content. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts if you’ve seen the show.
Dead Cargo plays at Metro Arts until 26 March, 2011.
Find another show playing in Brisbane at the moment.
Photos by Leesa Connelly.
