EDINBURGH 2019: Review: ARE WE NOT DRAWN ONWARD TO NEW ERA, Zoo Southside

The stage is set, a single tree with a single apple hanging from it. A woman lies to the side. It is a Garden of Eden paradise until the apple is plucked. As more people enter the scene, more destruction ensues and the paradise is destroyed.

The tree is taken from the ground and ripped to shreds. The apple is eaten and a large statue is erected with extreme effort by the Ontroerend Goed company. Plastic bags fall from the sky and are spread across the stage. Finally, a smoke machine is produced and the stage engulfed. One member comes forward to address the audience directly.

Though the cast have been talking together, it has so far been indecipherable. That is until a projector begins to play the entire action in reverse. Are we not drawn onward to new erA is a palindrome and so is this play. Through the the first half, the cast have been speaking backwards, and once reversed it is almost perfectly clear. It's an impressive technique from the experimental theatre company, mixing technology with impeccable performance to create something original and pressing.

The message is unambiguous. Humans have destroyed the planet and humans must fix it. Some of this is easy, like clearing plastic bags, and some is seemingly impossible, like replacing an eaten apple or reconstructing a tree. Ontroerend Goed show us that it can be done, and should be attempted. There is always more to do and mistakes can be undone, though they may be repeated.

Despite the strong message, this show doesn't preach; it is matter of fact with a little stage magic mixed in. There is humour to be found in the reverse, as many actions made in the first half suddenly make sense when performed backwards. It's an exceptional piece of technical theatre from a company always on the cusp of the new.

http://zoofestival.co.uk/shows/are-we-not-drawn-onward-to-new-era-ontroerend-goed/

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