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TAHI Ōtepoti festival — Bones
October 16 — Te Whare o Rukutia
Review by Brenda Harwood
The weight of family stories, and the sometimes devastating impact of what is not said, are at the heart of Julian Noel’s very personal one-man show, Bones.
Following award-winning runs at the Dunedin and Nelson Fringe Festivals earlier this year, Queenstown-based Noel returned to present a new iteration of the show during last weekend’s TAHI Ōtepoti festival of solo performance.
Bones was co-created by Noel and Martine Baanvinger, who also directed.
From the moment the first of the show’s eight characters — a sweet, elderly kuia — shuffles into the theatre, it is clear that we are in for an extraordinary showcase of acting skill.
Altering his stance, movement, voice and accent to portray various family members, from a cheerful little boy to a belligerent former soldier, Noel skilfully wove the tale of his own early years, his upbringing in Australia outside the whānau and the events that led to it.
Noel stepped outside these characterisations at intervals during the play to adopt a story-time approach, sitting down and reading the story, to reveal particularly important or harrowing moments. It was an effective technique, enabling the audience to maintain some emotional distance from the events described.
Also effective were the minimal props — a table, chair, a suitcase and everyday kitchen objects, which were transformed in Noel’s hands into representations of people and happenings.
Through its raw, funny and moving approach, Bones explored the stories passed through the generations of families, and invited the audience to reflect on their own family tales.
All in all, Bones was well-crafted, superbly acted theatre with an important, thought-provoking message to convey.