By Ex
Machina (Canada) & Théâtre Sans Frontières (UK)
State
Theatre, Melbourne, Aug 4 to 12, 2012
Reviewer: Joe Calleri on Aug 4, 2012
Prepare to be moved and mesmerised by Robert Lepage’s epic, 9-hour, trans-continental, multi-lingual theatrical journey, Lipsynch. Yes, you read that right - 9-hours! It’s amazing to consider that, Australian Ironman triathlete, Craig Alexander, recently completed a full Ironman event in less time than it took to sit through this brilliant theatrical event. And, I’m so glad I stayed the distance!
A sprawling Canadian and British co-production, alternatively spoken in English, French, Spanish, and German and broken up by five intervals, Lipsynch’s 9 human stories / melodramas (some of which are inter-related) explore our seemingly ever-increasing desperate need for recognition, self-expression and connection from various angles.
Speaking of the need for self-expression, I understand that, this production was conceived about 6 years ago, which probably explains the rather interesting omission of references to Twitter and Facebook and other forms of all-pervasive electronic social media all of which have, sadly, altered forever the manner in which we communicate with one another. So insidiously pervasive in fact, that, for the first time in Olympics history, we are witnessing the sad spectacle of world-class athletes blaming their addiction to social media for their poor athletic performances.
Lipsynch explores some disturbingly familiar and universal themes: the fragility and impermanence of human relationships (including mother and son, husband and wife, brother and sister), and the sickening exploitation of those who are the most vulnerable in our society, including the mentally ill, women, and the poor and disenfranchised.
There are three essential lynchpins to the 9 stories – Ada (Rebecca Blankenship), the kind, generous and loving opera singer; Lupe (Nuria Garcia), a young 15-year old prostitute who is sold to a German pimp by her evil uncle; and Jeremy (Rick Miller), Lupe’s son, adopted by Ada after Lupe’s tragic death aboard an airplane during the dramatic opening story. And, much like the recently screened TV soap, Revenge, once you have seen the first two or three of the nine stories, you will find yourself hooked in and wanting more, including the identity of Jeremy’s father. The answer to that latter puzzle will leave you feeling unclean and unsettled.
Lipsynch features some of the most intelligent and versatile set design (Jean Hazel) you are ever likely to see outside of a Transformers movie. With the aid of a highly skilled, efficient, and visible backstage production team, sets miraculously and effortlessly morph from airplane cabins, to London underground trains, to radio studios, to book stores, to film sets, to Nicaraguan cantinas, to brothels.
Could this production have been told in under 9 hours? Probably. Some of the stories (Michelle’s, for example, and the lengthy movie making sequence) are not as compelling and as satisfying as others (the opening and closing stories are, for me, the pick of the bunch), and one senses that, just like the favourite rationale for climbing Mount Everest, Lepage and his producers included all of the stories because they were there and because they could.
Ultimately, however, you should not let the marathon running time deter you from seeing this truly affecting, memorable and once-in-a-lifetime theatrical odyssey.
By Joe Calleri
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