“It is quite refreshing not to be emphatically played to, and the performance still drew responses from those of us in the dark – mostly applause or uproarious laughter. It is not bloodless, far from it.” – Veronica Hannon
4.5/5 Stars
Crush, the new work by performance art group, Branch Nebula, at first, seems deserving of the subtitle, Crazy Things I Got Up To During Covid.
You see, while many of us have hit Bunnings in the name of renovation, this troupe has been gathering hardware items to conduct experiments and make a show out it. The collaborators are co-artistic directors, Mirabelle Wouters and Lee Wilson along with Mickie Quick and Phil Downing.
I am wondering how I can appraise what I saw without spoiling the surprise. This piece sneaks up on you in its own way. As it goes on, it expands in pleasure, and you can attach your own meaning. Perhaps think about utilitarian objects you might look at but do not separate from their functions – mousetraps, lightbulbs, vacuum-sealed bags, spoons – and then think about flesh and blood interacting differently with those objects in a defined space. This piece transforms such objects and us.
60 minutes in duration, the work takes a dive into the world of human curiosity, and it gives thought as to how that curiosity has shaped us and the rewards it brings. Not to mention how the creators imaginatively blend the mundane with physical risk. There is always a particular delight to be derived from watching bodies doing unusual and dangerous things.
It is also quietly hilarious, in part, because the performers seem so unaware of our presence as they move from one investigation to the next. I sometimes felt like I had wandered into someone’s garage turned lab completely unnoticed. It is quite refreshing not to be emphatically played to, and the performance still drew responses from those of us in the dark – mostly applause or uproarious laughter. It is not bloodless, far from it.
Crush had a short run – five shows only – so hopefully it will be back for a return season. A petition may be in order.
