Son et Lumière (Sound and Light) is a celebration of one of Wellington’s most beloved buildings, the Old Saint Paul’s Church. Approaching the church it looked gorgeous bathed in golden light with the trees lit up also. Entering the church, the beautiful and evocative lighting continued: the vaulted wooden ceiling was highlighted by patterns emphasising light and shade. The audience was seated in the pews (surprisingly comfortable) and then the performance began with the procession in of the choir as a Maori karakia sounded.

Ray Henwood took centre stage (or should that be centre pew, pulpit or lectern?) as the narrator. He reads, in his rich voice from a large book, guiding us through the history of the Church – a history connected intimately with Wellington from its colonial times. It seemed an entirely appropriate choice for a Wellington theatrical institution to narrate a show about a Wellington architectural institution – an observation that is increased upon learning that Henwood was one of the performers associated with the last performance celebrating the church when the show was performed in 1975.

The story of the church is divided into five chapters, from a rather hazy sketch of the Maori of Pipitea pa and the selection of the site for the church in the 1850’s, to the restoration and preservation of the church for everyone to enjoy today. It is true that the mimed tableaux acting and choral singing is not particularly impressive, but that misses the point – it is the church that is meant to occupy the limelight. On this note, I thought the production could have done without the big screen projection – it felt out of place in the church, was difficult to see from many seats and tended to detract from what was being said. Some of the sound recordings are historical artefacts in their own right, being original recordings of important historical figures that have played a major part in the life of the church. The lighting, designed by Marcus McShane, was the highlight of the show for me, and I heard many people expressing the wish that the church could be so beautifully lit from without and within all the time.

With the sound and lighting combined, we never forget the beauty and heritage of the building, and I felt that I left with a better understanding of a building I have always admired. The show has now finished, but the church is open most days of the year, so there is no reason why you can’t drop in and experience it for yourself.

Originally published in The Lumière Reader.
_______________________________

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

When a show is called Son Et Lumière and billed as "A Festival of Sound and Light – a unique event celebrating the vivid history of Old St Paul’s", and when tickets cost $25 ($10 for college students), it seems reasonable to expect quality sound and light elements at least.

The lighting – designed by Marcus McShane – is fine (apart from the blown spot on opening night which left Narrator Ray Henwood stuck in a darkened pulpit and a very long pause, until he flicked the switch on the sermon lectern and proceeded ghoulishly under-lit). The stained glass windows are strongly backlit, spill-through provides mottled illumination of the rafters and roof, and the lighting also picks out other details well. But the rather ordinary still-images and text are projected onto one screen only, perched between lectern and choir stalls, which poses sightline problems for many.

The sound track combines recorded voices from history, the past 1975 production and some new material. Played out on muffled speakers (from where I sat, anyway), they are often lacklustre and incompatible with Henwood’s live, clear and well-projected voice.

As the recordings play, 8 actors – splendidly period-costumed by Sharon Matthews – present mute tableaux of speech-making, committee-meetings and expository conversations about the building. It is hard to imagine a more awkward and less creative solution to the challenge of making the story interesting, let alone dramatic.

Music is the other dimension. While the Cathedral Voices have some melodious moments, they cannot be said to meet the standard of choral concerts usually enjoyed in Wellington. We, the audience, supplement the live sound by singing five hymns, which at least offers us brief respite from the hard pews.

With the church standing as the central character, everyone’s view is necessarily and predictably limited when confined to a pew. It cries out, therefore, for multiple screens (sponsor-supplied LCD screens?) and live video feeds from hand-held cameras. Promenade theatre is another possibility, with small groups moving about the church to encounter displays in different locations, each involving, perhaps, a live character or two.

In short, Son Et Lumière falls far short of its promise and potential.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer