From All Who Came Before - Midsumma Festival

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Tue 08 Feb 2022 - Sun 13 Feb 2022

From All Who Came Before devised and performed by Milly Cooper and Ben Jamieson from Wielding Theatre is now playing at the restored La Mama HQ in Carlton at the Midsumma Festival 8-13 February.

Book your tickets here .



According to the program, this devised performance was inspired by 'The Synnot children ' painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in 1781 and other influences including Michel Foucault's 'The History of Sexuality', Marina Abramovic '512 Hours', Robert Wilson's 'Einstein on the Beach', and musicians Nils Frahm, Floating Points and Laurie Anderson.

These influences combined produce a storytelling performance both intricate and complex.



I attended the 'relaxed' performance, which means the production is accessible and inclusive for anyone with specific sensitivities or needs - visual, audial, physical, multi-sensory or neurodiverse. It is also good to see the restoration of La Mama HQ in Faraday Street now includes an elevator.

A lot of care was taken to make the performance accessible thanks to the brilliant work of Sarah Houbolt. This meant the performance took a little longer, strobe lighting was 'relaxed', audience members could move about freely or leave the performance if they felt anxious, uncomfortable, or just needed a short break.

This performance was signed by a brilliant Auslan interpreter for 90 minutes, which was a mammoth effort. The performance was also audio described to provide people with visual impairment the detail of what is happening on stage from the positioning of the actors' bodies to the description of the lighting, soundscape, the position and location of properties, the mood and emotions evoked in the characters faces and physicality.



Three friends co-exist together – Avery (Ben Jamieson), Lume (Milly Cooper) and a friend who is a painter represented by a puppet. Let's call them the Artist.

The Artist appears to be a person from another era who provides their philosophy of life whilst creating a painting. The Artist narrates the story and has a 'coffer', which is a little leather suitcase full of 'treasures' – paints, costumes, and letters. These letters are found in the coffer by Avery and Lume but it is not clear who they are from – I assumed they were the Artist's letters.

Sometimes the performance focused on the relationship between Avery and Lume, and sometimes on the Artist, Avery and Lume. There is more physical dialogue between Avery and Lume than verbal. When they do speak to each other, it is in poetry or staccato phrases.

At times it is difficult to understand the story whilst navigating many theatrical symbols and characters, with narration, audio description and a soundscape.

Perhaps that is the point?



Boundaries and life paths are often blurry, uncertain, and changeable. It seems the Artist represents 'all who came before' and Avery and Lume represent the 'now'.

There are some interesting moments in the performance including Lume spinning her body like a whirling dervish with a large copper cake stand secured with a carabiner around her waist, and an umbrella that rains letters.

Magical. The treatment of the mundane is also fascinating, like the Artist's morning routine to get ready for a day at the studio painting, and Avery and Lume preparing to travel to work and returning home tired and worn out.

Rituals. A playful moment is where 'the three' are lying down with their legs against a wall and shooting grapes from their mouths. There are also intense moments of connection and others of distance and aloneness.

The question in my mind is 'what is this story about'?

Perhaps the question is not as important as the journey itself.

Exploring what came before with the 'now' provides the audience space to bring their own life story to the stage.

Certainly worth a look at the Midsumma Festival!

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!date 08/02/2022 -- 13/02/2022
%wnmelbourne