Time Machine @ Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide 14/3/2024

Up, up, and away!

Prepare to take flight with the STREB Extreme Action Company’s air-mazing production of Time Machine.

In a retrospective of founder Elizabeth Streb, the New York City company reexamines their foundations in a fantastical journey through Streb’s career. It is a historical consideration of the company’s experimental past to the extreme action of their existing works.

The production is a testament to strength, agility, balance, precision, collaboration, and creativity. The performers referred to as extreme action heroes – Cassandre Joseph, Jackie Carlon, Nailah Cunningham, D’Sherrick Williams, Andrea Laisure, Sarah Perez, Kai Rizzuto, Jaylen Taylor and Luciany Germán – defy gravity and blend talent and skill in an hour of jaw-dropping entertainment.

The journey traverses four decades, showcasing solo performances, duets, and group productions using large-scale machinery. Each piece champions Streb’s choreography and creative vision. This vision is further highlighted by a series of pre-recorded commentary pieces that sound between each routine. She offers a history and rationale for its creation. In addition to insight, it allows the performers to set up for the next performance with a soundtrack of sorts.

Time Machine conceives choreography beyond dance. It pushes the human body to its limits. The extreme action heroes literally throw themselves into each performance. Whether within the tiny parameter of a cupboard shelf, onto the floor, or onto massive plywood boards, their actions are potentially bone-shattering.

Each sequence tows the line between gracefulness and absurdity. A duet whereby the extreme action heroes are tethered by a rope is equally hilarious and engaging in its outrageousness. The performers collide and pull each other around the stage in a perfectly choreographed routine. Whereas the finale, with the entire ensemble and a trampoline, is aesthetically grandiose yet cringeworthy as bodies repetitively fly and crash onto the mats.

Microphones on performers (and possibly props) amplify the sounds of every bump, thump, and smash. The louder the noise associated with a body colliding with something, the stronger the wince from the audience. This helps to create a balanced audio and visual spectacular.

Time Machine is a uniquely contemporary take on experimental dance. A feast for the senses, it will leave you wondering ‘how’ and ‘why’ and proclaiming ‘wow’ in the same breath.

Adelaide Festival Review By Anita Kertes

For tickets and show information head to the Adelaide Festival…