Across the ditch is a little place we like to make fun of sometimes as bigger siblings tend to do. And beneath that surface level teasing is a mutual respect for the cultures that have existed since long before we called these places Australia and New Zealand.
MATA MATA is a metaphysical showcase inviting viewers to sit with the spirits from across the ditch. Opening with dim lights and the sound of birds and percussion creating a portal of incalculable dimensions, the Blue Room Theatre becomes a portal of sorts.
A figure crawls into the space where the seats are placed around the perimeter of the Theatre room, positioning the audience as if we were sitting around a fire primed for storytelling. But instead of the red earthy tones we associate with home in this part of the world, a rich pool of greens, blues, and shiny grey tones pull us into the current of this piece by STRUT Dance Company and Harrison Cook.
MATA MATA Photography by Logan Ringshaw.
The interplay between Matthew Erren’s lighting design and the costume created by local fabric wizard Tia Tokić of BOSA brings forth complementary layers to the performance. As the figure crawls into the centre of the room, standing up reveals a collar shaped not unlike a vulva, perhaps indicative of birth. As this outer layer is graciously shed in due course each thoughtful detail of this costume design indulges the visual sense. Flashing lights change the entire colour perception of this garment with each lighting cue. Upon shedding of this outer layer, the final linen layer on the dancer’s body reveals Tokić’s stitching mastery with contours that move with the choreography whilst simultaneously retaining their statement status.
This show is a deeply thoughtful interaction between choreography, lighting, sound and costume and that has an effortless manifest quality. But don’t take my word for it, the mihi by a Māori audience member afterwards speaks volumes of the calibre of this show.
MATA MATA is on at The Blue Room Theatre from May 19-30.