No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability. The Bakehouse Theatre - Main Stage. 17 Feb 2016

 

Of Two Minds is a beautifully crafted piece of writing, transformed by Director Josephine Were into a smooth moving, lean and crystal clear piece of theatre. Were’s production never fails in its capacity to uplift the heart as an ensemble of four women work through their challenging day of dealing with the outside world and their inner minds turbulent voices.

 

Stage Designer Meg Wilson and Sound Designer Sascha Budimski’s contributions ensure the split experiences of the outer world and inner mind is not only clear to an audience but filled with rich added emotional depth and comic pathos.

 

Actors Michaela Cantwell, Zara Taylor, Rachel High and Kathryn Hall alternate action to their projected offstage inner voices with speaking onstage. Movement Coach Kialea-Nadine Williams has smartly kept movement across the stage strictly functional, yet left room for the cast to imbue each movement with as much personality as they wish; the success of her approach never so obvious than in Rachel High’s show stealing dance number.

 

Each character is offered up simply in an understated, yet burningly heartfelt spirit. Fear of spiders, constant falls and foodie temptations, and more fill their lives in a confusing tumble of emotion.

 

Of Two Minds while seemingly a simple, ‘easy’ work is quite a complex one in terms of its emotional content. The challenge of rendering vulnerable humanity clearly and faithfully is a significant one, and one this creative team has successfully met.

 

David O’Brien

 

When: 16 to 21 Feb

Where: Bakehouse Theatre Main Stage

Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au