Sprout

 Day is night, dust storms rage and the weather man has become the all pervasive voice of a poet prophet. Somehow hope and humanity sprout in this futuristic cataclysm Jessica Bellamy creates.

 Presented by: Pedro Collective in association with Tamarama Rock Surfers theatre CompanyVenue: Old Fitz, Sydney  Thursday, 4 November 2011
Day is night, dust storms rage and the weather man has become the all pervasive voice of a poet prophet. Somehow hope and humanity sprout in this futuristic cataclysm Jessica Bellamy creates. This is an intense short play tacking the themes of ecological disaster. The world has become an unfriendly and un-sustaining place for all types of life. Even language has become compromised with people speaking in short phrases, eschewing sentences and connected speech. That’s why the weather man (no cast listing) with his poetry and evocations of memories and words plays such a large part in the lives of four people we see. The choice of an old fashioned radio however for the projected voice of the weatherman in this futuristic landscape seemed out of place.   Surprisingly Nicole (Ashley Ricardo) is pregnant, a dangerous state to be in given the conditions. She is being sneaked the last vestiges of luxurious fruits by her lover (Fayssal Bazz). He becomes obsessed with the baby-“sprout” and she obsessed with gathering and planting seeds and creating other new life. Meanwhile another couple (Matilda Ridgway and Sam O’Sullivan) bond over the discovery of a frog or toad. This creature is to them a miraculous survival story which stirs hope, compassion and eventually sparks romance. Essentially this play is a study of ontology- a glimpse into the nature of being or reality in a harsh barren environment. As such relationships become the staple of life. Sprout is a demanding piece for cast emotionally and linguistically. Ridgeway, O’Sullivan and Ricardo give strong performances keeping the audience involved throughout. There was a slight sense of manufactured anger by Bazz during some of the conflict scenes with his expectant girlfriend, although overall he convinced as the man more in love with his expectant child than his girlfriend.  Director Gin Savage and the crew boast an ecologically friendly production bringing audiences’ attention to theatre as an ecologically friendly place. The minimal recycled set design and optional thumb drive program support this. Until 19th Nov
Bookings: www.rocksurfers.org Image by Gerard Xavier Mansfield