Hair-raising performance asks: How far would you go?
A.N. Myer’s thrillingly morbid production of Gnaw is not for the weak of heart, nor the weak of stomach. This “fractured fairytale” turned beliefs of right and wrong entirely upside-down in a series of horrifying twists. Raw, powerful acting coupled with unique elements such as live sound effects and shadow puppetry made for an utterly chilling experience.
Gnaw was written by Queen’s student Sean Meldrum for the Toronto Fringe Festival, where it was described as “raw and unapologetic” (Queen’s Review Journal). It tells a dark, reimagined version of Hansel and Gretel. Their family is desperately attempting to stay alive in the midst of a devastating famine, and rumours begin to swirl of a witch that haunts the nearby forest. The audience follows the family’s story, and learns the gruesome lengths to which each family member will go to survive.
The show’s set was quite minimalistic, featuring a beleaguered table and chairs centre stage. When a new setting was necessary, this was achieved through strategic lighting and blocking which was just as effective as physical sets.
The simplicity of the stage was largely to make way for two large screens used in the shadow puppetry. The puppetry was designed by Ron Dempsey, and styled after the works of Kara Walker. Flawless execution by Dempsey alongside Paige Hruska and Chelsea Toews heightened the haunting intensity of the show.
The famed duo of the story — Hansel (Kristian Jamieson) and Gretel (Chelsea Toews) — did not disappoint. Their dynamic back and forth conversations pulled the audience into their story, and Jamieson’s exhausted defeat was the perfect contrast to Toews’ powerful, passionate demeanor.
Both the father, Bullpig (Ron Dempsey ), and mother, E dee( Jessica Danecker), delivered incredibly compelling and emotionally complex performances.
Dempsey’s initial bloodthirsty anger fell away to reveal a father fiercely trying to do all within his power to help his family survive. Danecker’s persona of a defeated mother gave over to that of a deplorable, selfish woman who ruthlessly manipulated those around her to satisfy her own desires. Dempsey and Danecker’s portrayals were unsettlingly lifelike, and left the audience chilled to the bone.
Another inherently unique element of the show was the live sound effects, performed by an ethereal ensemble in the theatre. Cracks of thunder came from a large sheet of metal, and some, such as the whir of a mosquito, were created verbally. This unorthodox method contributed greatly to the immersive nature of the show — the sounds were quite literally coming from all around you.
The ethical lines of the world as we know it were stretched, manipulated, or entirely thrown away during this utterly hair-raising performance. It showed the constant battle between our subconscious and conscious; the constant push and pull between what we think to do, and what we really do. And in the end, it seemed to ask the audience: what would you do, and how far would you go?