Culture

Directed by Erica Newlands
Performed/Created by Rua McCallum, Nylla Ah-Kuoi, Jennifer Aitken, Emere Leitch-Munro, Lyndon Katene, Martyn Roberts, Clare Thomson, and Charlotte Walkens
(4/5)

 
 
This play was part of Newland’s exploration of “the ways in which devised theatre is an appropriate way of making theatre that engages in a cross-cultural negotiation” as part of her Masters of Arts. After watching In-Compass, I really must agree that this particular theatrical form is most certainly one that has a lot of potential to portray multi-cultural dialogue in a manner that is engaging and challenging.
What the creators of In-Compass managed to do, besides create a compelling piece of theatre, was voice a number of different cultural perspectives without seeming overly judgmental. I’m grateful to Newlands and her cast for creating a piece that resonated with watchers of any cultural background. There are all too many examples where the message is tainted by an obvious bias. This was not the case for In-Compass.
The acting was, for the most part, great. There were times when it was obvious that some performers were less experienced than others, but this was more than made up for by their commitment to the piece. The scene between Roberts and Thomson on the airplane was a delight to watch, though I do feel that the storyline that this started was not followed to a conclusion that was overly satisfying. This particular problem was not limited to this storyline. While I know that it’s great being left with some questions to ponder after a trip to the theatre, it’s also nice to be given a small sense of closure. I loved In-Compass, but I did feel like it didn’t quite let me see as much as it could have.
Finally, I have to rave about Newlands’ ability to create striking and beautiful images. There were moments, such as when Ah-Kuoi held a stack of photo albums as if they were a child, that tickled the sentimental bone buried deep in the sub-cockles of my heart. There were other moments, like when I realised the actors were creating an outline of New Zealand with their personal items, or when the theatre was unexpectedly lit from the outside of the building, that gave me a buzz I rarely get in the theatre.
In-Compass was an honest, beautiful and emotional piece. I certainly hope that this is the kind of thing we can expect more of in the future.