References to Salvadore Dali Make Me Hot

The latest offering from Griffin Independent, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, is a fantastical and surreal piece of theatre. Written by Jose Rivera, it skims fantasy while managing to explore some very real and human undertones.

SBW Stables Theatre, Sydney
Arts Radar and Griffin Independent
Friday, September 25, 2009

The latest offering from Griffin Independent, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, is a fantastical and surreal piece of theatre. Written by Jose Rivera, it skims fantasy while managing to explore some very real and human undertones.

Covered in hazy red sand, the set looks like someone left a window open during the recent Sydney dust storms. Nestled in the sand is a fridge lying on its side – we know from the outset this play isn’t going to be ordinary.

The introductory scene immediately transports us into the surreal. Gabriela (Olivia Stambouliah) is a lonely army wife who is being serenaded by a violin wielding moon (Lani John Tupu) and being pursued by a sex obsessed teenage boy (Arka Das). Meanwhile, Gabriela’s cat (Taryn Brine) is being hunted sexually by a lithe, wild coyote (iOTA). The dialogue is sometimes poetic sometimes witty and hilarious. The audience laughed out loud at many of the lines but I don’t think I was alone in wondering where on earth it was going.

The rest of the play begins to spell it out for us. When Gabriela’s army husband Benito (Stephen Multari) returns from the Gulf, we’re swiftly transported back into reality as we learn about the atrocities of war and the frustrations of a wife being left at home. Gabriela is sick of always waiting for her husband, she’s upset about never being able to find a job or passion of her own and she’s wondering whether the husband who just returned is the same man she married.

Benito on the other hand seems rather flummoxed by his wife’s sudden outburst. For him it’s simple: spend 20 years in the army and retire on a good pension. He’s got 9 years to go and although the war impacted him in ways he never imagined, he’s not going to give it all up for his wife’s whims, no matter how much he loves her.

The relationship of Benito and Gabriela was a highlight of this production. Their arguments, dancing around the problems and then final awareness of what was really the issue was engaging, raw and so very human.  The acting was superb; each nuance from their physicality to their accents was incredibly well researched and believable.

They weren’t the only credible performances of the production. iOTA and Brine perfected the physicality of their animals and seemed to live their parts as they pranced around on stage. And although their parallel relationship appeared to mean a lot to them, their apparent liaison wasn’t particularly convincing or appealing.

Of particular note was the haunting music that permeated through the production. Not only was there background accompaniment through the use of body percussion but often the cast would participate, picking up a violin, a clarinet or using their own voice to add to the ambience of the moment.

Overall, it was an interesting, well-rounded production. Although there were some patchy moments, it was a well-acted piece that is perfect if you want something a little bit different.

Bookings: www.griffintheatre.com.au

Until Saturday 17 October, 2009