OBSERVER: The Riddle of Washpool Gully
Puppetry is a sacred practice. There is a stillness and focus required through objects that carry the soul of the performance and are the living focus. This production of The Riddle of Washpool Gully fulfils its sacred duty.
This is a story about a boy and mother whose work takes them to a mine that she must approve.
Isolated, the son finds a friend, a spirit, a giant macropod. About loneliness and connection, resolution coming in the form of the boy’s connection to his own neglected imagination, building to a crisis which transforms their relationship.
The writing creates a modern mythology with a solid structure to deliver a clear plotline through to positive fulfilment. Build and release of tension is conducive to full audience focus.
This theatrical milieu requires stage hand, Bunraku puppeteer and animator, actor and storyteller. A strong ensemble, the performers let the archetypes carry the story, staying out of the way with nuanced work and unwavering focus.
There was no ambiguity about where your focus should be. To shift an audience focus from puppets to performance to narrative exposition requires an unambiguous investment of the soul of the performer moment to moment. The theatrical intention moved from puppet to character performance to spoken word seamlessly.
The production design was clever and elegant. Sliding set elements which began in a diamond shape slid left and right on the stage illustrating journey and location. Lighting Design was matched to the moment without distraction the same way that good music is inseparable from a film.
This season has come and gone too quickly for Melbourne audiences, but this is a company that specialises in touring. I recommend subscribing to their mailing list if you have children or are interested in multi-format performance.
Presented by Dead Puppet Society at Gasworks Arts Park.
Review by Sebastian Gunner