Circa’s En Masse, according to Yaron Lifschitz, “speaks about fresh starts and old ends, violence and tenderness of groups and individuals. It speaks of destruction and abundance of hope.” The Brisbane Festival’s world premiere of En Masse, a work defying genres and challenging theatrical possibilities, presents these contradictions.
The first act of the concert, entitled Endings, is a combination of songs by Franz Schubert from his late music cycles Der Winterreise and Schwanengesang, as well as industrial and electronic compositions.
En Masse opens with a projected quote, “The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born” (from Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci). A large plastic scrim dominates the set of the first act, and, subsequently, a translucent plastic cube containing the performers. This cube deflates later in the piece, creating a sense of entrapment and claustrophobia that the performers fight against.
Robert Murray, an English tenor, and Tamara-Anna Cislowska, a pianist, perform the Schubert songs Standchen Goode Nacht and The Doppelganger with a masterful range of dynamics and a magnificent level of control. Murray’s soft voice is especially ravishing.
The character is dressed like a vagabond who observes the activity of the acrobats, but he also has some touching moments when interacting with them. The Wanderer from Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle is a subtle reference here, as well as the protagonist of Schubert’s Winter’s Journey. He becomes an outsider to the events that are happening around him.
There is sometimes a disconnect between the frantic movements of the performers and the serenity in the Schubert songs. This contrast, however, also creates an interesting theatrical conflict. The difference between Lewis’ industrial pieces and Schubert’s songs is also effective, but it raises issues of cohesion.
In the first act, the performers are twitching, contorting, and writhing as they fight to save the world. Ensemble work includes duos, trios, solos, and group pieces. It is often violent and shocking but also tender at other times.
Circa’s acrobats are able to create a weightless illusion with their incredible physical control. One of the most impressive moments was when three men in a tower slowly tipped forward and performed a perfect roll. This performance is a masterful circus performance. The theatrical elements, music, and storyline integration transcend these thrills and create a physical theatre that is somewhere between contemporary dance, ballet, and circus.
The second half of the program, entitled Beginnings, is the absolute jewel. The masterwork of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, originally composed in 1913 for Sergei Diaghilev’s controversial Ballet Russes, is now presented in a piano duo version by the renowned pianists Tamara Ann Cislowska & Michael Kieran Harvey.
This work is a musical masterpiece. Both pianists have a wide range of colors in their performances, evoking the orchestral sounds and also showcasing the full range of piano timbres. Harvey’s performance of this piece was particularly impressive, as it was played from memory. The separation of the pianos on the Playhouse stage made the task even more difficult.
The first ever circus version of The Rite of Spring begins with a quote from German philosopher Walter Benjamin, “There’s no document of civilization that isn’t also a document of barbarity,” and this movement explores the theme. The entire ensemble performs throughout the second half. A constant theme of rising and falling and images of growth and circles are evident in the staging.
A female performer was seen ascending the “spiral stairs” formed by other performers as the music increased. The acrobats seem to defy gravity as their movements constantly become increasingly frantic. The music and activities are much better synchronized in this second half.
Pina Bausch’s 1975 staging of Stravinsky’s masterpiece could be compared, but Lifschitz’s narrative diverges from that original and extends the range of movements possible in a piece of this type.
The simple yet effective costume design of Libby McDonnell and the evocative lighting by Yaron Lifschitz and Richard Clark deserve special mention.
En Masse is a masterwork by Circa that challenges the boundaries between dance, theatre, and music to create a dystopian vision of endings and new beginnings.