A collaboration between Japan’s Theatre Moments and Macau’s Godot Art Association, Panic is the object theatre dramatisation of Nobel Prize for Literature candidate Kōbō Abe’s dark short story about the unexpected effects of crime. Using only toilet paper and a shopping trolley as props gives the imagination a workout, while the actors switching between English, Cantonese and Japanese (with English subtitles projected onto the wall) adds another layer of communication and interpretation. By combining a recorded soundtrack with human noises and dialogue, plus selective lighting and exaggerated expressions and actions, Panic manages to create an animated and dynamic world out of very little. A playful, macabre, entertaining and thought-provoking performance.
Revolt 3, Melbourne Fringe Festival, to 28 Sep
