@ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sun 30 Aug 2015 (times vary)
A five minute walk from the Traverse, we are taken to a small space perfect for the setting of a kitchen-sink opera. Except this is science-fiction, a warning of a future reality, a dystopian tale based on the original short play by Zinnie Harris, written for the Traverse in 2010.
The earth is overpopulated and resources are running out, but hope appears in the form of a tree sprouting through the tenth floor of a high rise flat. Mac, a scientist for a sub-committee and Jane, a depressed housewife, are symbolic of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, but in a desolate, apocalyptic future. When she notices, “theres a bump in the lino,” he thinks she is crazy, but it takes them on a journey reminiscent of long-gone emotions.
The audience, in close proximity, are invited into the decaying couple’s kitchen to assess our existence. In a futuristic world, would we know what to do? As she snips the tree out the ground it’s a symbol of humanity and our own ignorance.
A politically engaged musical and theatrical parable that pushes its boundaries with the use of opera composed by John Harris. With a buzzing, electronic soundtrack, there is a feeling of musicality even when they are not singing. The captivating voices from Pauline Knowles and Alan McHugh blends in with the dialogue, giving them both vulnerability and power, and the pain in their faces tells us of the possible end to come.