Ode to Man - The Blue Room Theatre

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'Many terribly quiet customers exist, but none more terribly quiet than Man'

So begins 'The "Ode to Man" From Sophocles' Antigone' by Anne Carson, a poem and prominent inspiration behind award-winning theatre artist Emma Mary Hall's latest show at the Blue Room Theatre, Ode to Man.

Written after a break-up in her mid-thirties, Hall's show doesn't just tell a one-dimensional tale of a broken heart, but rather explores its role in the 'bigger picture'. A seamless blend of storytelling and poetry, Hall's show is composed of fourteen vignettes which traverse the nature of contemporary man. Whether a reflection on past relationships, the troubles of modern dating, biological inequity, mortality or the current economic climate, the vignettes present sad, unsettling, angry, passionate and, at times, hilarious anecdotes about how men and heroic masculinity have failed her and, in some aspects, the world. Hall's show is a provocative farewell to man, what she proclaims to be a 'dying breed'; and you would be hard pressed to argue her reasons are unfounded, as she presents a bounty of scientific, philosophical and historical perspectives and evidence with impressive conviction.

While the content that Hall performs is engrossing, it's the animation and projections by Lindsay Cox that make the show enthralling. As Hall paces around the minimalist white set, Cox's supporting images assist in her thought processes, emotions and ideas, truly bringing them to life.

Far from a traditional stand-up show, Ode To Man is a very well researched performance about what it means to be a 'real' man. It will linger on your mind long after the show ends making it stirring and powerful piece.

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