OUT OF DARKNESS
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
10/02/2017 - 13/02/2017
NZ Fringe Festival 2017 [reviewing supported by WCC]
Production Details
Every year nearly 2 million children are exploited globally in the commercial sex trade. It’s easy to ignore and call it an ‘overseas problem’. But what if it happened here? What if a child in Wellington became a sex slave, and what if there was help?
Using stories of real survivors, just be productions will present its latest physical theatre/dance piece, Out of Darkness, in the 2017 NZ Fringe Festival.
The piece follows Alice as she descends into hell on earth and then finds her way back into the light; back to freedom. Out of Darkness premieres at The Studio at BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce 10-13 Feb 2017 at 9:30pm.
Until a problem is acknowledged and brought to light, it will persist. Human trafficking is one of those problems. In fact, it is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. These women and children live under constant mental and physical threat, which often results in severe emotional trauma. While the problem may seem far removed from the comforts of our own lives, it’s actually closer than most think.
In September 2016, New Zealand saw its first human trafficking convictions. What’s more, there is a real and accessible way for the average person to help stop this dark trade. Our hope is that Out of Darkness will inspire people to take action, however big or small.
Everybody has a story, and the world should hear those stories. The mission of just be productions is to be a voice for those whose stories too often go unheard. Under the direction of Alida Steemson, Out of Darkness stars Jess Brownell, James Bayliss and Ivana Palezevic.
Trigger warning: This show deals with physical and sexual assault.
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Mt Victoria, Wellington 6011
10-13 Feb, 9.30pm.
BOOKINGS: fringe.co.nz
TICKETS: $16/$13/$10
Theatre , Dance-theatre ,
Tapping into your social conscience
Review by Donna Banicevich Gera 11th Feb 2017
Out of Darkness by Just Be Productions (US) opened in The Studio at Bats Theatre last night as part of the Wellington NZ Fringe Arts Festival. Created by Jess Brownell and directed by Alida Steemson, the physical theatre/dance performance explores the emotional make up of a young woman trafficked into a life of sexual exploitation. We watch her struggling to overcome her past, learning to trust again, and beginning to claw her way back from a black place.
The story follows Alice, performed by creator Brownell, as she descends into hell on earth and then finds her way back again into the light. Her relationship with her pimp, her johns, and Dylan, her saviour, are explored. These male characters are all performed by James Bayliss. This is a big ask, and a challenge he meets well, playing multiple roles solely through dance and physical movement. The other character, Jane Doe, is played by Ivana Palezevic, whose performance develops a state of stillness in a world surrounded by violence and movement.
This is a show that taps into your social conscience and makes you think. The programme states ‘millions of children around the world are trafficked and trapped in sexual exploitation’ saying it’s easy to ignore and call it an ‘overseas problem’, posing the question ‘what if it happened in Wellington?’ It then moves onto discussing Destiny Rescue, an organisation that works to help rescue the sexually exploited and enslaved, restore the abused, protect the vulnerable, empower the poor, and who are a voice for the voiceless. (There’s a brochure included in the programme asking you to get involved)
I know this is an important issue and overall this is an admirable effort. However, I found the script very didactic and research heavy. For me, a lighter approach would have had more impact. I was left feeling like I was being preached too rather than being moved emotionally through the characterisation and the storytelling.
The production has everything it takes, though: the sound, the visual, the mind, the heart, and the all-encompassing humanity. Because the narration often states the obvious, switches point of view, and changes tense, sometimes the writer’s true intentions and ‘voice’ are lost. By allowing the actions and movements to tell the story, audience members would have to brace themselves. As it is, the audience may feel it’s just a show. But it’s not, and it could have the potential to pull you in over your head.
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