Contacting The World Festival: Arok Dedes & A Neon Fairy Tale – Contact Theatre, Manchester

Arok Dedes devised and performed by CuciOtak from Pasuran Indonesia.

A Neon Fairytale devised and performed by The Outhouse Collective from London

Reviewer: Dave Cunningham

The Public Reviews Rating:

The Contact Theatre hosts the second combination of plays under Contacting the World – an international festival featuring young theatre companies from around the world paired at random. The collaboration between CuciOtak and The Outhouse Collective took place largely by way of social network sites that, along with the language barrier, gave rise to some challenges, as Pasuran is an area of former conflict in which Internet access is limited.

CuciOtak comprises Christian and Muslim members and their work seeks to promote traditional Indonesian culture utilising a range of techniques including martial arts and puppetry. As they are accustomed to performing in public squares their work is bright and lively so as to attract, and hold, attention. Dressed in ravishing period costumes they tell a simple tale of Arok Dedes , a Robin Hood type character who overthrows a tyrant.

Although the language is foreign to most of the audience it is easy to follow the story as it is performed in ‘ Mighty Acting’ style. The play opens with a charming prologue in gentle song backed by a puppet figure. After this the acting becomes broad and melodramatic. This helps overcome the language barrier although the villains’ over the top cackling laughter becomes wearying. Basing the movements on Tai Chi and martial arts, along with the subtle use of drums, is a particular success. The cast add atmosphere by involving the audience as a crowd chanting the name of the hero. The development of the production by committee sometimes results in too many ideas spoiling the show; the different styles clash leaving the audience unsure whether to follow the drama in the foreground or laugh at the slapstick in the background.

The Outhouse Collective takes a more psychological approach. Lola is caught in a cycle of abuse and, as sleep deprivation causes hallucinations, copes with past abuses by imagining that they happened to characters from fairy tales. It is a very ambitious play that does not fully achieve its high objectives. The performances are excellence with the cast speaking clearly and setting themselves a number of challenges such as enacting some scenes in iambic pentameter. Although very sure of the comedic elements they have seem uneasy in exploring the more disturbing aspects of the dark storyline that they have developed. However, when the elements do come together it is very funny especially a borderline psychotic Hansel.

The development of the storyline by a group results in a show that is too long. The show has a clumsy structure based on a quest that drags in a number of unnecessary extra characters who add little to the show. Having set a demanding storyline Outhouse lose faith with their audience on a couple of occasions. Psychologists pop up from time to time to explain concepts and, at the conclusion, the whole thing is explained just in case we’ve missed the point.

If Outhouse could bring themselves to revise A Neon Fairytale to be more streamlined and show a bit more respect to the audience they would have a winner on their hands.