I'm not sure if it's politically correct to say this, for 'Brave ' was a good deal more enjoyable than I expected it to be… seventeen 'young people' performing vignettes from their lives to illustrate issues which concern them personally. Seventeen 'young people' (yeah I know, you come up with a term which sounds less condescending) dressed in a 'uniform' of jeans and dark T-Shirt, with pulsating lights and electronic music work their way across the stage, moving in time to the music (all wear headphones) await the audience as they take their seats.

Movements seem disorganised, but as likely are not, gradually coalescing and resolving themselves into meaningful collections. An afternoon's observation in Rundle Mall would reveal similar group dynamics…

Musically speaking, 'Brave' showed little bravura in its soundtrack, being mostly reflective pastiches of samples amidst a bed of 'heartbeat' basslines. Nowhere was it intrusive or annoying; but as a soundtrack to the stories being played out, it worked remarkably effectively without being in any way lacklustre or understated, although given the decks and mixing components piled at the rear of the stage I expected some live component to the mixing. Nick O'Connor's sound design is therefore an excellent component of the whole: and not at all as I expected.

Primarily however, 'Brave' was an ensemble work, and when the cast lined up for choreographed movement it seems almost as though they were mimicking an old musical such as 'Hair'. Maybe it's 'West Side Story'. As a thought, that seems a bit spooky - not to mention old skool - so I'll give it some quantification by saying that this directly reflects the dilemma confronted by Directors Mayhew and Paterson. The two had sought to present a performance of youth theatre dealing with issues apart from the usual… you know, drugs, parents, alienation, music, sex.

The list itself seems substantially intact, although having been a youth once myself I might quibble with the order of importance. The point is, of course, the more things change the more they stay the same, and teenagers will always be interested in exploring the same issues - and the 'Brave' crew do an excellent job of going through the list. Perhaps the most touching - and most effective work involves the consequences of a night out on drugs. The last three (but one) Tracks (their term) deal with the emotions and the dramas in a way which is both theatrically adept and realistic in a way few such productions either attempt or attain.

Urban Myth promoted 'Brave' as a "work in progress", which is often shorthand for "lazy and unfinished", but that is far from the case here. 'Brave' may need a little pep in order to justify the boldness of its name, yet that might well come with a couple more performances of the calibre of their opening night.

Alex Wheaton

home|news|reviews|interviews|dance|metal|contact|advertise