Adelaide Fringe 2013 – Symphony of Strange – Tuxedo Cat

Gareth Hart’s latest offering, Symphony of Strange, is just that – bizarre, eccentric, and plain weird.

Set on the top floor of Tuxedo Cat, this show was alien and incredibly outlandish. Endearing themselves immediately to the audience members by providing chilli chocolate and damp washcloths to combat the 39degree night, the performers led us into a vast empty space illuminated by so many candles that I recalled the funereal scene from Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet.

It’s incredibly difficult to describe this show, which is presumably what Gareth Hart intended. As promised, the ‘symphony’ is performed entirely on random items, including shopping trolleys, dried leaves, and plastic cups. Artfully composed by Edward Willoughby, this original opus is mesmerising and spellbinding.

At times, the show dragged on – in particular the fact that there was no seating as we all followed Gareth around through the immense performance space made it easy to lose focus. Moreover, the hypnotic sounds of the symphony were such that at times it was tempting to block out Gareth completely, and therefore detracted from the experience.

This show is definitely one for fans of the experimental dance genre, but is worth it if you are looking for something completely unique.

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