CULTURE CLASH
TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland
26/10/2012 - 03/11/2012
Production Details
WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU CAN’T GO HOME?
YOU FIND A NEW ONE.
With a cast from Russia, India, the Czech Republic, Albania, Brazil, Canada, France, Samoa, New Zealand and China, CULTURE CLASH explores the idea of “What is home?”
Culture Clash is an incredibly diverse and culturally rich project where 25 talented people from all over Auckland have come together to create a truly unique, live ensemble performance. We incorporate dance, live music, storytelling and song. This clash of cultures is funny, colourful and alive; it examines freedom, what truly makes us happy, what can destroy us and what, when all is said and done, will make us laugh.
Directed by Beth Kayes of Co-Theatre Physical and creatively produced by Margaret-Mary Hollins, CULTURE CLASH is a multi-disciplinary performance. It is a celebration of people of different ages, ethnicities, and disciplines in a beautiful cultural collision.
Drawing on our cast’s own stories as inspiration, CULTURE CLASH motivates us to examine what we take for granted, appreciate the choices that we are free to make and ponder the question, “What the hell would we do if everything was taken from us?”
CULTURE CLASH is an examination of lives under pressure, people making epic decisions and individuals running into what really matters. This devised journey explores the extraordinary and ordinary stories of home, and other dangerous places!
CULTURE CLASH is produced by TAPAC in collaboration with skilled professionals. We are working with the performing arts community who regularly create and perform at TAPAC and we have devised a rich and striking show that is not to be missed.
DATES: 26th October – 3rd November 2012 (no show on the 29th)
TICKETS $25.00 – www.tapac.org.nz
Cultural tapestry woven in song and movement
Review by Paul Simei-Barton 30th Oct 2012
The multicultural face of Auckland is vividly displayed in Tapac’s community theatre project that has a hugely enthusiastic cast working under the guidance of seasoned theatre professionals.
The show entwines fragments from diverse personal histories to build a dazzling collage that honours the uniqueness of its constituent parts. The free-flowing structure creates surprising juxtapositions and abrupt shifts in tone as traumatic memories are jumbled together with moments of humour and romance.
Director Beth Kayes builds a carnival-style atmosphere in which personal stories are skilfully blended with song dance, acrobatics and clowning. [More]
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Contagious fun
Review by Reynald Castaneda 29th Oct 2012
Culture Clash is a kaleidoscopic insight into immigrant experiences in New Zealand. Bold theatrical ideas and sheer energy from its fervent cast members compensate for the play’s overall trite message.
A project that began almost a year ago, Culture Clash is the fruit of TAPAC’s ‘community meets professional’ initiative. Here, members of the community are invited to flex their creative muscles with the supervision of professionals.
The play is reminiscent of the carnivalesque film Shortbus. Held together by two Samoan goddesses as the show’s hosts, Culture Clash is an orgy of immigrant stories collided and celebrated under the safe netherworld of cabaret.
Both experimental and physical, it begins with a foggy stage, foreshadowing its dream-like disjointed narrative but also Culture Clash’s desire to evoke the fringe and the unorthodox usually associated with underground saloons of New York. There’s nothing more fringe and unorthodox than being an immigrant, after all.
The overall effect is interesting: with a cast of 22, audience members can pick and choose which stories they want to connect with. What some audiences might find enjoyably chaotic, however, others might find incoherent – foreign languages and poor enunciation can be blamed for that.
The cast is nonetheless a joy to watch. Filled with enthusiasm and faith in the production, their smiles and dedication to their roles are palpable. They are clearly having fun. And it’s contagious.
As expected, the play ends with a big Bollywood dance number. It’s followed by a group performance of its theme song Home is in the Heart. The lyrics are included in your programme, but you’re not obligated to sing along.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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