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Omon Ra Little Theatre, Adelaide University Until Sun 5 March 'Omon Ra' is a stage adaptation of Russian Victor Pelevin's 1991 novel. The skeleton of the story, pleasingly flexible throughout, concerns a young, (seemingly) naively patriotic Russian man named Omon, infused with an ambition both to reach the moon as a cosmonaut and submit his person wholly to the sanitary glory of his transcendent, faceless sovereign, the Soviet Union. Fortunately for him the opportunity to satisfy both urges emerges, with Soviet authorities desperate to beat the United States to the moon even if it means settling for qualified technology with no return-capacity. As is characteristic of much post-modern science fiction, the story is constituted by a ridiculous, quite hilarious techno-socio-political situation. Despite the surreal nature of the Soviet state, a narrow but intense stream of humanity flows from our quasi-protagonist Omon. Does he sacrifice himself for the anti-human idea that is the Soviet Union? But his course is set and, indeed, the overbearing imperative of Soviet idealism is not concerned with any 'non-existent' soul. It is in this context of almost-pure inhumanity that the pure humanity of Omon is revealed, his soul like a cornered beast staging a stout resistance but nonetheless resigned to the fate of being consumed by an idea. Apart from some slight easily ironed-out technical awkwardness, 'Omon Ra' is a real and original treat.  |
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