Above and featured: Cast of White Gold work with iconography, acrobatics, music and a quantity of rice on stage. Photo credit: Wendell Teodoro.

A highlight of any high profile arts event like Sydney Festival is the international acts or projects it attracts. We cherish the sharing of culture and keen depiction of humanity despite genre, language, spiritual priorities, geography, history and culture.

This show’s published and perceived narrative deals with rice. A way to be healthy, to survive and be nourished, the eating and farming of rice leans towards trade, productivity and modern-day profit as goals. Rice, and all that its production means for hard working individuals plus families who have survived past regimes, conflicts and true horrors are celebrated with enthusiasm and boundless energy here.

The physicality of the talented acrobats in this cast is breathtaking. Also, the close connection between sound effect and music to convey geographical locale is further emphasised by a gradual movement towards a stunning spiritual display through painting and vivid interaction with rice at all times.

The concepts of production, commerce and family duty or tradition are joyously and athletically reinforced throughout. The variety and virtuosity of the three multi-instrumentalists in the band accompanying the action is to be greatly admired. The lithe percussionists, wind and string players are seen moving their talents in and out of the band area to augment the story as well.

These musicians playing in an authentic cultural style shift soundscapes with much fluidity and ease. They underline the stage emotions and gestures showing at all times impressive synergy with the cast member’s movement and circus tricks. This small band’s creation of effective sonic moments to exaggerate predicament hit the mark every time, being produced with colour and precision.

Above: Cast members celebrate rice. Significant artworks rest around the stage. Photo credit: Wendell Teodoro

The amazing acrobatics witnessed throughout the ever-building momentum of White Gold’s had the audience on the edge of their wonderment. Narrative sequences plus the creation of visual art on stage in parallel eventually combine paintings with the emotional reactions, circus tricks and depictions of the rice farmer’s journeys.

Sequences on stage full of tumbling, balancing poses around rice mandalas on the floor plus balancing on other dancers and actors are of an extremely high standard. The result of so many ‘well-stuck’ landings, increases in equipment height or teetering board difficulty bring us classic gasp-worthy circus element. And amidst the big top melee we absorb the extension of the farmers’ journey highlighted by flowing rice, spiritual paintings and exquisite, angular Cambodian movement from the female dancer.

As the audience oohed, aahed and made various other grateful utterances at this happy sharing, artwork was created and paraded on the stage space. It was finally amalgamated via yet more human ladders to present a spiritual statement of nine combined artworks over the stage.

Throughout White Gold, pure joy emanated from the accomplished, hardworking cast members.  Their repeated success in all athletic, musical and artistic efforts shone with an impressive white heat. The most significant achievement amongst all formidable turns, flips, somersaults and incredible landings on people or places was the warmth in which the cast performed their disciplines perfected at the Phare Ponleu Selpak academy. These ten ambassadore from the Phare Big Top close to Angkor Watt are doing their teachers and usual 60-strong troupe very proud.

Above: Performance image: Wendell Teodoro.

To present these skills so joyfully with such precision, energy and to encourage understunding of story elements is an achievement worth celebrating. Pressures, traumas and challenges overcome in former and current Cambodia and the need to entertain despite historical impacts on humanity are as much champions here as the well trained cast.

Being a human in the rice industry, a human displaying talents and training, a human relishing the thrill of the circus plus a human absorbing the survival of art or artistry from another culture are here displayed as true gold. It is at once a touching, tender, truthful and tremendously thrilling event.

The Australian Exclusive White Gold can be experienced at Seymour Centre’s York Theatre until Jan 21. A Cambodian circus workshop suitable for ages 8+ is being held until January 19 at Casula Powerhouse. Bookings via the Sydney Festival website.