Sun and Crystal

Reminiscent of Japanese Noh theatre and performed with the care and dedication to perfection of a Japanese Tea Ceremony, Sun and Crystal is visually striking in its minimalism.

A black stage, a gong, a mirror and an image of a large flower in grey/black tones and two performers, one in a blue kimono with tabi shoes and one in an orange kimono set the scene.

Theatre is stripped of its usual trappings ensuring that we, the audience, focus on the narrative and performance style. I watched the children in the audience wondering how they would accept this style of theatre in these days of instantaneous gratification and internet. They were quiet and absorbed throughout the performance.

Sun and Crystal premiered in a ruined studio in November 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo.

Produced by Hirono Otake, with costume design by Kijun Saqurai and sound by KO.DO.NA, the show is characterised by its ethereal and life-infused silence, and devotion to precise movement.

A woman, amid fields of flowers adjacent to a battlefield, succumbs to a tragic fate while every fragment of her existence is meticulously captured within a crystal.

At the same time a woman, led by shadows, encounters an old man amidst a timeless plane. His tales speak of a world housing a crystal cave, sparking the woman’s quest through time and space in pursuit of this enigmatic crystal.

Unfortunately, the masks worn by the performers obscure their speech which combined with a fragmented dialogue delivery make it difficult to understand the dialogue at times. However, the production’s visual impact makes up for this to some degree.

Sun and Crystal is an ingenious concept and a reminder that there are times in this hectic Fringe where one needs the gift of silence and time to consider what you have witnessed.

Barry Hill OAM

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