Review: THE GIRL WITH GLITTER IN HER EYE. The Bunker Theatre

Helen is finally getting the artistic opportunity she's been coveting, while Phil is being dragged down by her own secret. When the painter is pressured to exploit her background and lifestory, she ends up endangering her closest friendship. OPIA Collective explore female understanding, not-so-inadvertent cultural insensitivity, and the importance of listening to each other in the stylish and cutting The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye.

Masha Kevinovna writes and directs a compelling analysis of boundaries and trust. With vivid and specific storytelling, it sees poetic language and movement delivering a powerful story; Modupe Salu, Anna Mackay, and Naomi Gardener act as narrators and main characters, while Ben Ramsden handles the sound design live from a keyboard. Dressed in trendy outfits that include primary colours, they navigate the art world and the meaning of art while trying to negotiate personal history and intention.

The script ties together emotions and feelings on Cara Evans's sleek, white set where the three women come to life like vibrant splashes of colour. They switch between the Furies who narrate the plot and the trio who struggles within. Maria Koripas's especially striking movement direction sees Gardner giving a stunning physical performance as both the artistic director of the gallery and one of the Furies, among the exceptional, outstanding cast.

Modupe Salu and Anna Mackay's face-off builds slowly and culminates in Salu's poignant address in spoken word poetry. This final part looks and feels more like an epilogue or a postscript and, as such, Kevinovna succeeds in elevating it above the primary narrative and turning it into a meaningful message.

The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye runs at The Bunker Theatre until 27 January.

Image courtesy of Victoria Double