War zone images inspire true play
A piece of compelling theatre exploring homophobia and asylum seekers, “Elegy” will touch hearts at JD Algie Hall in Neerim South on Saturday at 7.30pm.
Told from the perspective of one who got away, this first appears to be an intimate account of one young man’s impossible love for his best friend, but gradually he reveals more. He details the horror of a world where local militia disappear his friends one by one, the numbing terror of deadly border-crossings and hostile asylum processes, the utter despair of having no place to call home. And…it is all true.
As “Elegy” explores the unimaginable homophobia that occurred in “post-liberation” Iraq and the horrific realities imposed upon any minority group faced with no choice but to flee, resonances with the current hostilities in the Middle East and the European refugee situation – as well as our own country’s current attitude towards asylum seekers – are unavoidable.
Cleverly fusing precision performance, intimate storytelling, music, movement and visual poetry to lure its audience into a theatrical, playful and ultimately devastating world, “Elegy” is a lament for the survivors of these brutal regimes, their lives in exile and, more importantly, for the dead they have left behind.
Despite the seemingly dark content, audiences will leave warmed, thrilled and moved, and more than likely ready for lively discussion.
“Elegy” is inspired by the images of Bradley Secker, an award-winning photojournalist renowned for his work documenting asylum seekers as they escape Middle-Eastern war zones. Although ongoing, most of his work was captured in 2011 in Damascus, Syria – at the time considered as safe place to stop permanently or while waiting for further assistance from the UN.
Playwright Douglas Rintoul wove the stories of many of these individuals, together with interviews of many other LGBTI asylum seekers across the world, to create a single, powerful narrative of one man’s epic flight across Europe.
The piece is cast with a Caucasian actor to bring the story and its reality closer to the majority of the audiences who will see it. This is not a piece about an exotic “other” or easily dismissible “foreigner”, but something that touches us because it could be us.
Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for concession, $28 for members and groups, and $20 for youth.
A bus service is available with bookings essential.
For bookings or further information, contact the West Gippsland Arts Centre box-office on 5624 2456 or visit wgac.org.au