Kiss Sigh Shout Laugh Cry Dream

This youth work offers much to a big crew of emerging and developing theatre makers and their audiences.  Although all aspects may not be fully formed or acutely realized, as an ambitious conceptual piece brought to production, it is inspirational and inspiring.

So much youth literature and many contemporary stories are post-apocalyptic. Well this work is apocalyptic.  One is submerged in the events of global flooding (pardon the pun) and La Mama is a base - a refuge.  Desperate times are being explored. And really what timing for such an event in view of the severe weather warnings we have been experiencing in Melbourne.

The stakes are very high.  It is a matter of survival.

Starting with three or four strangely dressed and masked individuals harrying the audience from outside the fence and creeping into the courtyard, Kiss Sigh Shout Laugh Cry Dream is site specific - set in found places in and around the theatre and based on some curious and at times noteworthy writing.  Heaps is happening with varying degrees of success.  Some scenes are very strong and clear and some found spaces work better than others.  

The little garden shed makes an excellent retaining area for enforced solitude and self-reflection. By contrast what happens in the kitchen area, mostly due to production values, is not as convincing. 

Walking along the street and around the block away from the immediate site offers a chance to dwell on the juxtaposition of our extremely affluent life style, with the pending doom that could be realized through global warming. 

All the acting is strong due to the very focused commitment of all performers.

Some scenes could be more subtly and empathically teased out.  The strange, charming, yet dangerous lurking creatures in masks could do with a more lavish and uniform costume design. Issues of how our behavior will be affected and changed in such times of crisis could perhaps be more fully explored.

This is an extremely ambitious organic beast of a work that would need mountains of time to truly cover all bases.  And doubtless it is developing and being tweaked in performance as I write.

It boldly ticks many boxes.  Most particularly offering numerous young performance makers the opportunity to explore a variety of aspects of their craft and demonstrate commitment and the capacity to negotiate and develop and bring to fruition a fascinating piece of theatre that is relevant to them.      

And it is marvelous to witness a large troupe of young adults growing as artists honing their skills as theatre makers.

This troupe is fortunate to have Adam Cass working as curator and support.  He has a great track history from his work with Platform Youth Theatre and obviously the knowledge, experience and accepting understanding nature required.

What rings beautifully true are the singing voices. Singing brings cohesion and coherence at the beginning and the end of the work.

Kiss Sigh Shout Laugh Cry Dream leaves me wondering how our behavior and ways of relating to each other will change as we are faced with the inevitable difficulties brought on by the pressure cooker of global warming.

Full marks to La Mama and Adam Cass for facilitating this bold strong and thought-provoking venture.

Suzanne Sandow  

Creators and Cast

Alanah Allen, Jade Biezen, Caitlin Duff, Megan Elis, Louise Giavas, Bridget Grace, Stephanie Haley, Kim Ho Poh Choo Kee, Sara Laurena, Phillis Lim, Sophie McCrae, Campbell McNish, Tiffany Mestrinho, Taylah Sheppard, Lauren Sheree, Anna Grace Smith, Jue Theng Soo, Isabella Tolley, Harriet Wallace-Mead, Nick wright and Aly Zhang.