RUINS / أطالل
Ruins / أطالل at the Seymour Centre is a stunningly realised masterpiece of movement from Clockfire Theatre Company, devised by Emily Ayoub and Madeline Baghurst.
The play was described by the creatives as a love letter to Lebanon and the Arab Diaspora, and it’s clear from the very first seconds of the play that the love runs deep. Ruins / أطالل creates an utterly beautiful depiction of a deeply human story that at times conveyed the liveliness and beauty of Lebanon and then, at other times, took an unflinching look at the realities of war.
Ruins / أطالل is one of the most important and relevant pieces to come to life in the current Australian theatre landscape. It’s a powerful story, exploring the complexities of grief and family, migration and sacrifice, and the power of memory. The subject matter is handled with sensitivity and emotion, creating a story that feels authentic and honest.
Amelia is grieving the sudden loss of her father, and takes a solo trip to Lebanon that they’d planned to take together. Alongside her journey, we see her fathers last trip to Lebanon as a young man, and see how their stories intertwine in an intensely emotional journey through time and place.
Ruins is brought to life by an incredible cast of actors that deserved every second of the standing ovation they received at the end of the play. Randa Sayed is an emotional powerhouse as Amelia, delivering an incredible performance full of vulnerability and power. Moments of humour perfectly balance the grief, delivered with perfect comedic timing by Adeeb Razzouk and Piumi Wijesundara, both of whom were able to switch deftly between humour and heartbreak at a moments notice. Tony Poli brings a groundedness and charm to his character with a remarkable performance. Youssef Sabet is spectacularly energetic, carrying his roles with ease, and Madeline Baghurst displays some of the best movement work I’ve ever seen.
Movement drove every minute of this play and created a world that invited the audience to connect. The ensemble created worlds with their movement, and had a synchronicity onstage that felt almost musical.
The set is stripped back and immediately intriguing, bursting with dimension. The raised stage is removed, making the most of the space and creating a sense of the vast in the intimate theatre space. Sheer fabric with rounded archways cut out of them pair beautifully with video projections to create a vivid environment that brings the story to life without distracting from the main elements of the story. Transformation is a key part of the genius of this set design, with minimal props and set pieces inventively used to convey a multitude of spaces.
Projections and music were beautiful accompaniments to the action onstage, and the live flute performances were a gorgeous addition to the beautifully designed soundscapes.
The language was a beautiful mix of English and Arabic, that elicited the sense of musicality within the language. Projected subtitles make it accessible for non- Arabic speakers, but even the scenes that weren’t given subtitles felt accessible through movement and tone.
Ruins / أطالل is exquisitely moving, and utterly devastating, full of flawlessly executed movement pieces, creating something transcendently beautiful.
Ruins / أطالل is playing at the Seymour Centre until October 18th.
To book tickets to Ruins, please visit https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/ruins/.
Photographer: Geoff Maggee
