PROJECTS
Reviews
Evening Post
Engaging show theatre at its very best.
The final image of The far side of the moon of a man floating in the blackness of space is not only a beautiful and poignant metaphor for his life and ours, it is also a stunning piece of theatrical trickery that delights, surprises and moves the audience.
Robert Lepage’s story concerns two brothers. Philippe is a struggling academic who potters off to the laundrette when he’s not making a home video about our infinitely insignificant human lives that is to be beamed out into the cosmos for any passing extraterrestrial.
Andre is a successful TV weather frontman who does not worry about their recently dead mother’s goldfish and whose morals according to Philippe, come from the Jurassic era.
The fraternal bitterness is echoed in the bitterness between the Americans and the Russians in their race to be the first into space and on the moon.
And as the Apollo-Soyo mission brought the two nations to an accord, so the brothers finally agree to eat a meal together.
The deft mixing of realism and theatricality, the inspired flights of the imagination as a washing machine becomes an entrance into space and an ironing board is anything you care to mention, the newsreel footage of the space race and the use of Laurie Anderson’s spacey music all combine in this magnificent production with breathtaking precision and skill.
Add Yves Jacques’ engaging performance as the two brothers and you have theatre at its very best.
