HARVEST

The PACT Ensemble’s latest, HARVEST

A famous director and teacher, Hayes Gordon, once said the best thing a theatre group can aspire to, apart from entertain, is to somehow get the audience to take another look at life, to perhaps send the audience out at the end of a performance “…a better giant than when they came in.”

Facilitator / director Julie Vulcan endeavours with this production to give the audience “food for thought”. Not just about the amount of food we waste, (the ABC stated this morning that Australia throws away 8 million tons of food annually!) but “…our impact on the world- all those metaphorical things as well, like, wasting time…”.

In a ritualistic performance that was sometimes challenging, often confronting, always engrossing, this talented ensemble of young actors accomplished that and more. I confided to a woman sitting next to me as a voluptuous cast member ‘invaded my sensibilities’ that I didn’t think I would ever drink milk again!

Worthy of mention is the imaginative Roxanne scene with one of the few vulnerable characters, and the presence of young Mandela Mathia. The wonderful sound and set design was no small portion of this cornucopia of ideas.

The PACT Ensemble’s production of HARVEST opened at the PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville on Thursday 21st February and runs until Saturday 9th March, 2013.

© Allan Chapple

22nd February, 2013

Tags: Sydney Stage News- HARVEST, PACT Theatre, Erskineville, Hayes Gordon, Julie Vulcan, Mandela Mathie, Sydney Arts Guide, Allan Chapple.