Review: MAZE by The Naughty Corner Collective

Presented by The Naughty Corner Collective, DPS Academy with Dead Puppet Society and Brisbane Powerhouse, MAZE is a visually striking hybrid form of theatre which brings to new light the story of The Bastard Beast of Crete.

Directed by Jess Bunz, this work features five actors, one playing the role of the Minotaur and others bouncing between various roles in the ancient Greek myth as well as morphing into parts of the maze themselves. The actors (Jeremiah Wray, Sho Eba, Georgia Voice, Claire Argente and Mark McDonald) were so tightly knit in their movements and mannerisms that the had an almost telepathic synchronicity with each other.

Threading together elements of Suzuki, viewpoints and synchronised choreography, the performance tells the story of this ancient Greek monster primarily through movement, creating a kind of hypnotic atmosphere as aided by Ben Mills' lighting design and the actors handheld neon lighting rods. I've never seen such an innovative way to use a hand held light source before to establish the space and setting of the performance. Sound designer Tom Collins did an exceptional job in injecting the ambiance into each scene and creating a dynamic score that was a driving force for the story's progression. The culmination of these aesthetics resulted in we, the audience, being transported to the disorientating tunnels below the island of Crete.

Whilst the pacing could be improved and more depth could be added to the supporting characters, The Naughty Corner Collective have created a work that is unlike anything I've seen at the Brisbane Powerhouse. It's clever, it's fresh and it makes you reflect on our antiheroes. I can't wait to see what they do next.

Rating: 4 Stars