Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 19 June 2021
Heralded by Vince Jones’ trumpet, the iconic and richly dark Strange Fruit opens The Art of Protest and lets you know exactly where you’re going across the show’s near two-hour runtime–somewhere where the art of protest is all that matters, emphasis intended. What follows is an intriguing selection of songs that in their beautifully-realised interpretation lose some of their original emotion.
Directed by Matt McMahon, performed by Vince Jones and delightfully narrated by Brian Nankervis, The Art of Protest is a skilfully focused show. Jones’ rich voice is backed by an incredible jazz band led by McMahon on piano. Nankervis’ orations between songs is the perfect accompaniment, providing crucial context to each number without devolving into preachiness (though it must be said, standing at a lectern as he did lent his early addresses to the audience a certain sermon-esque quality).
The power of this show lies in allowing the audience to reimagine what a protest song can be—in curating a varied setlist of styles, The Art of Protest shows a bellowing march on the street can be just as effective as a quiet declaration of self against the world. It is a shame that more 21st century choices couldn’t have been incorporated, a variety of voices, or indeed just a sense of urgency or outrage. The messages of these songs may be timely, but asking why they’re timely and why we’re still fighting for the same things to be a reality sixty, seventy, eighty years later would have projected this show to unexpected heights.
This is a minor protest though (har-de-har-har), and doesn’t detract from what is an extremely polished and entertaining show with its heart firmly in the right place.
Reviewed by Callum McLean
Rating out of 5: 3
Season Ended
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