“I don’t know if I want to be bound”
A surreal vision of life, what it means to understand one another, and the evolution of self within memory. Written by Laura Lethlean, presented by Space Jump Theatre Company, and directed by Kirsty Semaan, Two Hearts follows the relationship of Him and Her, underscored by the enigmatic It.
Ebbing and flowing between naturalistic and highly stylised aesthetics and wordplay, Two Hearts does not confine itself to a singular exhibition, rather instead presenting a multi-faceted unravelling. The actors were challenged with unpacking Lethlean’s prose, Yarno Rohling, who played the role of Him, describing the process as “finding the hidden dialogue within the prose”. There was an intriguing interplay of language and dialect, especially for Him, dancing around typical Aussie vernacular and gorgeous rhyming couplets in an ocker accent.
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of ‘slice of life’ style theatre; it gives me an incomplete feeling (not in the good way). The mystery often substitutes itself for unengaging structure with little intrigue. The actors of this production did a great job at navigating this, implementing new senses of purpose and drive in each micro-scene. Danette Potgieter is ethereal as Her, embodying beauty in every sense of the word — her portrayal is so resonant, Potgieter commenting in an interview with Honi how the character picks at parts of each of us and represents such personal experiences.
The highlight of this production was the meticulous choreography of each scene, each movement. The direction was highly stylised, which provided a sense of cohesion to each vignette, and the actors were accomplished in their physicality; particularly Lisa Hanssens, who created evocative imagery in her movement as It, blending nuance with confrontation.
Set and sound played huge roles in this production, notwithstanding the constant sounds of planes flying above – Flight Path Theatre is very appropriately named. The simplicity of the set softly complimented the jumpiness of the non-linear structure, providing interesting levels for the actors to interact with in their choreography. The sound design was gorgeous, the whole show underscored by a heartbeat.
