RUINS is the story of an Australian-Lebanese women’s return to her ancestral home in current time. It is also the story of her Australian-Lebanese father’s visit in 1982 when the city was bombed by Israel. Let’s start at the beginning. The soundscape as the audience enters is a mix of ancient Arabic music, Nina Simone and other 1980s singers. This is an intriguing combination. The audience anticipates how it will fit the story. Then the opening is an Arab woman calling out poetic mournful phrases. The translations are projected overhead. Now the characters arrive in the first scene.
Alissa, grief-stricken by her father’s sudden death, travels to her ancestral homeland, Lebanon. This first scene is confused and overly fussy. Then, thankfully, the action settles down to tell the complex story of Alissa’s return, her discovery of a secret and her epiphany. She visits the ancient Baalbek ruins and the faded splendour of the Palmyra Hotel, where Nina Simone sang in Lebanese’s glory days. Alissa’s story parallels her father’s own return to Lebanon when he was young. The father in his youth and as his older self are both on stage at the same time. Alissa’s journey runs alongside her father’s story. The two paths converge, in a heartfelt revelation. It would be a spoiler to reveal much more.
The beauty of this style of storytelling is Clockfire Theatre’s physicality – fast changeovers, large props swiftly turned and twisted into new spaces and scene settings. Added to this display of physicality are the videos projected on the back wall of Lebanon’s ancient buildings. It all worked well together in the telling of this tragic tale. Clockfire developed RUINS through improvisation and collaboration. This is innovative storytelling.
RUINS was devised and written by Emily Ayoub and Madeline Baghurst. The director was Emily Ayoub. Composer Johnny Yang’s soundscapes add greatly to the success of the performance as does Cris Baldwin’s set design. The cast was Randa Sayed, Youssef Sabet, Adeeb Razouk, Tony Poli, Piumi Wijesundara, Madeline Baghurst with the voice of Olive Magee.
RUINS is playing the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre until October 18 Running time is 70 minutes.
