Reconcile | The Blue Room | Until 17th June | ★ ★ ★
Boyname has impressed us in the past with short performance works delivered in nightclub settings, but now they’ve embraced a larger stage for a full-sized work.
Reconcile is a theatrical movement-based work that explores clear themes around gender exploration, and it comes with a lot of trigger warnings. The hour-long show sees the artist take the audience on an emotional journey.
Rather than tickets we’re each given a single rose petal as our currency to enter the performance space. We’re asked to hold the petal throughout the performance and channel any emotions the work conjures into the remnant of the flower.
As you enter the antechamber of the performance space it’s a full-sensory experience, there are strong scents in the air, we crowd around a plinth which has an object sitting upon it, as the room fills with mystical and foreboding sounds, a character enters the space, they’re cloaked in an elaborate body and face concealing outfit, it’s reminiscent of when you walk around the house on a cold morning covered in your doona.
After a short scene we’re led into the main theatre, the audience is seated opposite one and other, the performance space a catwalk style channel between the seating. The creature enters the space and amid strobing lights and a cacophony of sound, begins to shed their layers, revealing a person within.
The work them moves through several stages, taking us on a journey of discovery, torment, and eventually acceptance. It’s a movement-based work, and like all abstract dance-based performances, open to interpretation of its meaning. Different audience members will gleam different messages from the experience.
The movement tends to gravitate to the floor a lot, so it’s recommended you try to get a seat in the front row for maximum exposure to the performance. Sitting in the third row left long sections where it was sadly a performer rolling around the stage largely out of view. We move through phases, the movement changes, the layers of clothing are shed, it becomes more confident, more sexual, and eventually moves from conflict to peace.
After some time, I found myself thinking more about an odd hat a lady on the other side of the divided audience was wearing than what was occurring on stage. Then I dropped my rose petal. Now where was I going to put my emotions? While Boyname temporarily lost my attention, the final section of the work brought a satisfying conclusion and left me thinking about themes of connection and authenticity.
The final moments of the work involve physical interaction between each audience member and the now naked performer. This is the work’s powerful moment, it’s not confronting, it’s very thought provoking. You also need your rose petal, which left me suddenly crawling on the floor to retrieve mine.
While it’s great to see Boyname working on a larger canvas, overall, I couldn’t help but think that this is a show that is very similar to performances we’ve seen many times before, especially at The Blue Room. While the artist clearly has a lot to say, there’s not enough originality in this experience to make it stand out from similar works that have come before it.
I’m eager to see what comes next for this performer though, bring on the next work.
Reconcile is playing at The Blue Room until 17th June.
Graeme Watson
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