South Australia's month-long History Festival is in its 15th year and continues to offer an incredibly diverse range of events and attractions. This year's program included a performance by Louise Devenish, head of percussion at the University of Western Australia School of Music - a welcome import to add a creative twist at a venue with a notorious history.
Z Ward was the 'criminal ward' of the former Glenside Mental Hospital, just outside the Adelaide CBD, and was closed for nearly 50 years. It was recently re-opened to the public for tours and occasional public events. The building is an impressive piece of architecture, surrounded by a 'ha-ha' wall, which is described in a brochure as providing security while 'softening' the prison-like image that high walls would have conveyed. However, the metal bars on the windows and doors sure make this feel like a prison anyway.
Devenish's performance is part of her national tour and features a small selection of pieces from her album Music For Percussion And Electronics. While kicking off with traditional glockenspiel, things quickly became more interesting with haunting sounds generated from Balinese bossed gongs and a giant tam-tam. While at times this would make for an excellent soundtrack to a horror movie, there are also moments that are serene and meditative.
As a performance space, the Z Ward is fascinating, but not overly complementary. As the one-hour performance progressed, the intrigue surrounding our surroundings began to diminish, with the chill of the autumn evening rapidly seeping in through the open doorway. As our legs started to go numb with cold, we couldn't help but think that this fascinating performance would be much more enjoyable in a warm room, with comfy chairs and a bar, rather than being stuck behind bars.
And while the acoustics of the room did enhance the performance, they also amplified every other sound in the vicinity, including occasional audience coughs, shuffling of feet and the giggles of a few youngsters present who had clearly been dragged along by their parents. Sadly, the visual projection was barely visible.
Regardless, the performance itself was flawless, fascinating and received bouts of warm applause at every break.
