Arts

Theatre Review: Starweaver

Action in hopeful defiance

Action in hopeful defiance
5

Presented by: Madness of Two in association with State Theatre Company South Australia as a Stateside project

Reviewed: 27 June 2024

The great thing about theatre is it introduces us to change. Starweaver is a compilation of up to the minute technology combined with traditional theatre performance in a format that would draw in any gamer, film buff or theatre goer who loves to see something new. It combines AI technology with the immediacy of theatre in a new, and inventive, script written by Jamie Hornsby and Ellen Graham with which Shannon Rush, as director, has pulled out all the stops to weave these artforms together in a truly interesting 90 minutes of performance. 

The piece reminded me in its exploration of good versus bad of the medieval miracle plays. The dogged faith of Cato (Ellen Graham) the subversive persuasiveness of Cassius (Jamie Hornsby) and the antagonist (Maeve Hook) unify to combat the villain Kit Donavan (Mark Saturno) who is implicated in the death of Cato’s dad Mark (Brett Archer). They are supported by Rohan Becker, Mantra Bhatt and Shardee Santos live on stage and Stephen Tongun and Nick Launchbury in pre-recorded cameos. As the launch headfirst into this science fiction based tale of the revolutionary fight against greed and manipulation.

The story is complex, it’s inventive, it’s interesting and with equally complex and visually stimulating background images, on an Imax size screen, the action is supplemented by a story that is constantly underpinned by the images on the screen – some still, some moving. It is exhilarating to suddenly be immersed in an almost immersive image that moves and lets you move into it. Jason Bevan has headed up a team of visual effects and motion capture experts in collaboration with Brittany Gallasch and a team of students from Visual Effects and Entertainment Design students (VEED) to provide an excellent foundation for the story to sit itself on.

Jamie Hornsby’s Cassius drives through the beginning and end of the story, his character is devious and manipulative, tinged with a spark or two of wicked humour. But Ellen Graham’s Cato and Maeve Hook’s Terra have a spark and drive that moves the play along with a pace and energy that keeps you involved and interested in every twist and turn this story takes. Two very interesting and strong new performers. The Starweavers of the title hold the key and the mystery of the piece and there are a couple of mystical moments enhanced with lighting and movement which allow the magic of the Starweavers to do their work.

There’s something for everyone in this story; it’s cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians on terra-firma and in space. It moves along at a cracking pace and there are constant scene changes undertaken by the actors with the aid of rapidly changing CGI and images on the big screen. Some very good moments of physical theatre combined with vibrant action and good old-fashioned storytelling. 

Kathryn Sproul’s design is, as always, an addition to the storytelling and Mark Oakley has made an intricate and complex lighting design look seamless. Jamie Hornsby along with Jamois have captured some excellent video and photography that are integrated into the background CGI with ease and flair.

So whether you’re a gamer, a film buff or a theatre goer this foray into the many and various storytelling ways of the future makes for a very entertaining visit to the theatre. We need to embrace change to keep live theatre alive and the integration of new technology into existing theatre staging has been getting better and better over the last decade or so. We need to embrace it before AI takes over and threatens our livelihoods. Hang on, I think that was basically the message of this innovative and interesting piece of work. Thankyou State Theatre Company and the Stateside project for giving a platform to a new way of experiencing theatre. To quote from the play, keep encouraging “action in hopeful defiance”.

Starweaver is presented as part of the 2024 Stateside Season of State Theatre Company South Australia. It was developed and produced with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild’s David Williamson Prize, and was initially developed as part of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s inSPACE Development Program. Starweaver is supported by Arts South Australia, Creative Australia’s MATCH Lab program, and by Jopuka Productions.

Reviewed by Adrian Barnes

Photo credit: Jamois

Content warnings: Coarse language, heavy themes
Loud noises and infrequent strobe effects in use.

Venue: The Void, Flinders University
Season: 25th June – July 6th 
Duration:  90 minutes
Tickets: $36 – $48
Bookings: https://www.madnessoftwo.com.au/starweaver

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