Felicity’s Score: 4 Stars
Does this mean I’m a part of a cult now? RITUAL doesn’t just blur lines between performer and audience, it erases them altogether in Twisted Element’s hypnotising mastery of ‘immersive theatre’.
Twisted Element premiered RITUAL during Sydney Fringe in a Warehouse in Marrickville, less than ten minutes walk from the Factory Theatre. This dance piece involves a large dance ensemble, ushers, and a few camera operators recording the event. It says a lot about a performance that people could be taking photos throughout and moving me about, but I’m still enraptured with the performance, I hardly notice them.
RITUAL dancers don red costumes, and what begins as a slow moving ceremony ascends into sometimes frantic rituals. Striking details enrapture the participants, constant eye contact and interaction with audience means we are quick to follow and do whatever is asked of us. The cult mentality that makes the work so unsettling is ironically what makes the crowd so obedient…we are all eager to do whatever routine is asked of us. I find myself letting people lead me around, alter my clothes, give me things to wear, tell me where to sit, and how to move.
RITUAL is a fascinating exploration of a dystopian sect. There is nowhere to hide, and as rattled as the ceremony made us, we all found ourselves succumbing to the ritual. Stellar sound design, and movement laden with striking moments, RITUAL is a victory for Twisted Element.
Felicity Anderson – Theatre Now
