Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus Shares His Thoughts On I've Been Meaning To Ask You.

Thursday 18th March 2021, 7.30pm. Riverside.

Youth bite back to show us we can ask that question with joy.

I've Been Meaning To Ask You is a wonderful combination of theatre, dance, participation, experience and performance.

The premise of the evening is based around questions from young people aimed at adults. Questions they are dying to ask, questions they want answered. The adults from around the world have responded via a website and can choose to be anonymous. A great set up, where these questions and answers are free from embarrassment or reluctance. The Adults get to ask questions too.

The topics cover a range of curiosities.

"Why do you have to go to work?"

"How come adults drink to have fun?"

"What was life like before the internet?"

"Life is a car crash."

The answers and responses are presented through a mix of choreography, dance, video projection and performance. We discover the curiosity, emotions, knowledge, humour and reactions from both adults and young people.

When the team take to the stage you sense the joy and enthusiasm of this young crowd. Their energy is pure delight. Effortlessly they present the clever combination of movement and dialogue, revealing a variety of topics and ideas that this Q & A has discovered.

We see the youth's taste on pop music via a simple and effective voting system. Results that we relate to and find amusing. They also vote on adult statements aboutlife. The insights and revelations are assessed by the youth with amusing and revealing results.

While eventful moments written by the adults are spoken by the youth, they are recreated in momentary performances. We enjoy and discover the variety of responses that all ages have to offer around topics that affect us all.

"What advice do you have to making it through life?"

The first half builds to a crescendo with a high energy dance scene that presents the process of being young and growing up.

The performance continues with a stylised presentation of the perspectives of the young people at hand. This time the choreography is slow paced and meditative while using a sheet for symbolism. The scenario is like being part of a piece of art. The lighting and staging beautifully add to this expressive piece of theatre.

The combination of movement, dialogue and music creates a wonderful sensibility that speaks to the audience.

The line "music is like therapy; I understand it more than I do people" comes to life in the scenes that follow.

The sequence with the sheet was other worldly. It felt like looking at a 3D rendering of a soundtrack.

The scene with the two youth talking about a fantasy, was effective at bringing the audience inside the blanket fort of our own childhoods. All those nights spent talking silly secrets with torches, whispering, so as not to wake the parents.

It reminds one of the cycle of life - the energy of youth gives way to the slower seriousness of adulthood, only to be childlike at the end when we walk into the light.

A reminder that we are always children at heart and a slice of theatrical atmosphere that creates a connection is good for the soul.

The Good Room is the team of creatives that bring this amazing work to life. They should be commended on the way they have bought all the inventive elements together. The melding of ideas, answers and perspectives is ingeniously presented in various modes of performance. This is a wonderful work of art.

They have gathered all the questions and responses and created a journey where you feel entertained and transported.

I've Been Meaning To Ask You is a prime example of exciting, new and progressive Australian theatre.

Catch it if you can.

Photos: Tracey Schramm

To post a comment, you must register and login.