A rocky desert landscape. A wide blue sky. Tufts of faded
yellow glass. And silence. Two scientists have braved the elements of a
climate-changed world to commune with nature and talk to the earth and hear its
pain.
The Sky Is Well
Designed is the second show by Fabricated Rooms after Grief and the Lullaby, nominated for several Green Room Awards in
2015. Creator Patrick McCarthy has assembled an effective design team in Rob
Jordan (sound and composition), Zoe Rouse (set and costume) and Kris Chainey (lighting)
for this production at the Northcote Town Hall.
The silence with which the show begins is calming and as the
show progresses, the use of sound ranges from comforting to unsettling. Once
the scientist characters, played by Ben Pfeiffer and Emily Tomlins, begin their
investigations, the various instruments they use make for a visual and aural
treat.
The dialogue, however, is stilted. And the narrative, such
as it is, has no shape. Theatre need not be narrative driven, but dramatically
the show plateaus early on.
The performances are described in the publicity as
hyperrealist, which turns out to mean one-note and dull. This isn’t the fault
of the actors, who I have enjoyed elsewhere; The Sky is Well Designed is well designed, but it is not well
written nor particularly engaging.
The Sky Is Well
Designed contemplates climate until September 28th.
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