William Yangs’s latest full length work I AM A CAMERA, his eleventh in a career spanning over twenty years, is currently being performed as part of this year’s Sydney Festival.
Yang’s style of presentation of stories from his life is a constant; intimate, warm and personal. He stands confidently in front of us, his audience, with two small rear-view mirrors either side of him (much like the mirrors on a motorbike), and talks us through the images that stream in slideshow form, either in stills or video form, onto two large screens behind him. At times, when the emotions run high, he turns around and joins us in viewing some very special moments from his journey.
To the left of him are two fine musicians, Thomas Rann on cello and Joshua Hill on keyboards and percussion, who play an eloquent score composed for the production by brilliant Uzbekistan composer, Elena Kats-Chernin.
I AM A CAMERA is a rich, rewarding night in the theatre. With his camera forever by his side, it’s exhilarating to be part of his journey as he goes off on so many different tangents and shares his impressions with us.
We move between his treasured celebrity pics…his rich, extended family life…the passing of dear friends and a brother…a pic of his favourite traveling teapot…snaps from his many travel destinations…his documentation of the discrimination against the Chinese during the gold-mining period in New South Wales…his avid participation in the national Chinese photographic exhibition…and much more, with everything l sitting comfortably within the frame, and described with his inimitable, laconic humour.
Genius Irish singer songwriter Van Morrison wrote a song titled, I’M SATISFIED featuring the chorus, ‘I’m satisfied/with my world/cause I made it/the way it is’. Similarly, Yang is satisfied with the life that he has made for himself and how he has been able to make the most of the gifts that have been given him.
‘I AM A CAMERA…I witness marvelous things’. May his camera continue to capture memorable moments for many years to come!
After a short season at the Lennox theatre, Parramatta Riverside, William Yang’s I AM A CAMERA, opened at the Reginald theatre, Seymour Centre on Wednesday 17th January and runs until Sunday 22nd January, 2012.
© David Kary
18th January, 2012
Tags: SYDNEY PLAY OF THE WEEK, SYDNEY THEATRE REVIEWS- I AM A CAMERA, William Yang, Reginald theatre Seymour Centre, Elena Kats-Chernin, Joshua Hill, Thomas Rann, Chinese Heritage Association, Prudence Upton