By Amy Nancarrow.
Black lights. UV Paint. Circus performances. It’s a match made in psychedelic heaven, and this is what Sydney troupe Art Kinetica attempt with their performance of Luminous, a show filled with contortionists, circus performers, and an other-worldly cast of creatures.
The concept is fantastic, and in a lot of ways, Luminous does impress. The opening of the show was fantastic – the creatures slowly evolve, cleverly using black cloth and a very impressive floor crew – and there are some captivating physical performances. The costuming and staging are particularly impressive, as is the physical strength of the performers.
It is a shame, then, that Luminous had to be housed in Gluttony venue The Peacock. The venue offered decent views from the middle of the room only; with two massive poles on either side of the stage, it was hard to see particular elements of the show, including the impressive opening. Furthermore, when the volume of the music decreased, music from other shows in Gluttony could be very clearly heard, which somewhat shattered the illusion that Luminous was attempting to create. The other thing that Luminous would have benefited from is a more succinct narrative thread. It’s what they attempt at the beginning, but it’s quickly dropped in favour of the performances. Without some thread keeping the otherworldly theme together, Luminous at times becomes disjointed, and distracting.
Overall Luminous is a good experience; it’s more that its issues perhaps could be solved with a different venue and more of a narrative thread throughout the show.
Kryztoff Rating: 3K
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