The first performance of The ‘I’ Test at the Dunedin Fringe Festival was to an audience of nine which included two ushers. A tiny audience in a tiny venue is a pretty nice way to watch a dance performance although I imagine it could be a little intimidating for the performers who no doubt have flights and per diems to cover with ticket sales.

I found The ‘I’ Test to be a challenging performance, quite literal in some of its exploration of the connectedness of self and others and how we interpret ourselves through our own lens and mould ourselves through others’ lenses – but challenging nonetheless.

Performers Emma Fay Coppersmith, Danielle Lindsay, Anna Flaherty, James Wasmer and Andrew Paterson performed disparate roles, each seeming to personify a mood or persona – disengaged, awkward, angry, chirpy, nurturing. They only worked together occasionally but their dancing as a unit was beautiful and strong.

The performers elicited sympathy for their attempts to connect and engage with each other, and their perseverance in the face of a callous disregard for each other’s feelings.

Coppersmith’s stuttering speech was wrenching as was Flaherty’s display of a range of emotion from anger to worried and trying to explain to the others ranged against her, laughing at them with an ‘I don’t care what you think’ flip of her hand to breaking down into tears on the floor. It’s difficult to laugh on cue and to sound and look as though you mean it and she did it cleverly.

Conversation after the show, in particular about Wasmer’s robotism and disconnection, brought home to me the context of the performance – my guest had felt comforted and reassured by his manner, while I had felt like giving him a good shake and telling him to lighten up and relax. Clearly, we interpreted his manner according to our own state of mind and points of reference – as the show’s descriptor says , “What is it within me that colours my lens? Which of my experiences shade my perspective?”.

It is remarkable how few people are even aware that this Festival is on, and of those who do know, how many are too busy, too tired, too whatever to get to any shows. Their loss I say – but it may be Dunedin’s as well as it simply can’t be sustainable for performers to show their hard work to such small audiences and it must be a little demoralising –although you never see that on their faces.

First night of the Festival is always a tricky one for a new act as word of mouth needs some time to filter around the city and reach ears willing to be wrenched out of their cosy evening homes to vicariously explore their inner creative self.

Dunedin, for goodness sake, get out of your staid armchairs and go and experience something you may not have seen before. These performers put their heart and soul into their work and they deserve an audience. The show is on early enough for dinner and a glass of wine afterwards to discuss your interpretation of it…