The performance lawn has won much acclaim. Brought to you by Splinter Group, a trio which is made up of renowned Australian dancers-cum-choreographers Vincent Crowley, Grason Millwood and Gavin Webber, the show speaks of the life of an Australian living alone in Germany. Webber reveals more about lawn.
What is lawn all about?
lawn is based in an apartment in Berlin during winter. It tells the story of an Australian coping with the alienation, claustrophobia and paranoia of being alone in a foreign place. The first winter is always the hardest to take and in lawn our tenant struggles with his own perceptions of Germany, with his past, with the unknown history of his apartment and with his neighbors.
So what can we expect the show to be like?
lawn is a theatrical experience where the characters and relationships are told through movement rather than text. It is a highly physical work exploring the nature of homesickness, paranoia and xenophobia. The question arises about who is real and who is not. It is like an episode of Big Brother directed by David Lynch.
What is its overall mood?
It’s darkly comic and surreal. Every action and every movement has meaning and refers to the plot and characters.
What are some challenges you or the other choreographers faced when producing lawn?
The highly physical nature of the piece is a challenge for us. There are only three of us in the show and we push ourselves to the limits of endurance. Also the challenge lies in confronting the audience while taking them on an accessible and dramatic ride with us. The biggest challenge of all is to move people emotionally with the work.
Has lawn been performed anywhere else, and where will the show travel to next?
We have performed in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Townsville. After Singapore we will be going to Lisbon, Portugal and having return seasons to Berlin and Brisbane at some time next year. Heilbronn is also on our list.
What do you hope audiences will take home after seeing lawn?
We hope that the images and emotions will stay with the audience for some time. It has been our experience that it is a piece which people will have strong feelings about and leave with attachments that linger for quite some time.
