The
Rapture
Reviewed by Lee Bemrose
Short review
for the Moira-converted: Just go see it. Duh.
More detailed
review for those who haven't had had The Divine Moira Experience:
Wow, where to start.
This is without a doubt a strange show.
At times, it is positively weird. At times you might not even know
what the hell is going on. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but I didn't
feel that this was burlesque,as such, but more performance art. 80
minutes of thrilling Gothic weirdness. A kind of surreal dramatic
monologue with flashes of humour and musical interludes, stunning
costumes, lots of nudity and some tomato sauce.
In the past
I've only seen Moira Finucane as part of an ensemble that she has
curated. She has brought together the world's most talented burlesque
artists frequently over the years and has appeared amongst them,
usually standing out, with her performances being dark, powerful and
often hilarious.
With The Rapture, it's a treat to see Moira
do her thing for the duration of the show with assistance from a mere
handful of performers. It's a pretty demanding task to set herself.
In The Rapture, Moira is a story teller. She tells stories and
stories and stories, acting out the narration as she tells us these
stories. I wanted to be a more conscientious reviewer - like the chap
across from the stage in the white shirt and red scarf who
ostentatiously scribbled in his notebook throughout the performance
(anyone know who he was? I'd be interested in reading his review) –
but to be honest I was just too enthralled by what was happening on
stage to take notes.
Moira is an engaging story teller to say
the least. But she also an engaging actor. In The Rapture, she is a
shapeshifter. She is a growling, dark and dominant Goddess who it
would be wise not to anger, then the most feminine of girls going
through the phases of love. Physically, she can have a strong, almost
masculine presence, but she can also appear, well, just really
beautiful.
And that beauty would appear to come from within.
Moira is obviously a feminist, but there is an all-embracing feel to
what she does. There is an undeniable celebration of the feminine in
this show, as there has been in all her previous shows, but it would
appear that she wants to celebrate the beauty of life in all its
forms. The revelation that Moira is an Environmental Scientist came
as a bit of a surprise, given the accomplished performer that she is.
And yet it shouldn't surprise.
Highlights for me were many.
The costumes... such lush creations. The scene where Moira acted out
the various phases of love to the accompaniment of U2's With Or
Without You (I think this is correct – as I said, too enthralled to
take notes). The general pagan feel of the night including the
breaking and sharing of bread. Shirley Cattunar's version of A Daisy
A Day... wait on – this deserves its own paragraph.
Another
highlight is that all of the performers hang around and mingle and
hug and talk. I was lucky enough to thank Shirley Cattunar for her
version of A Daisy A Day, and I hope she doesn't think I was just
being nice. This is a song I haven't heard for a lifetime, but its
simple lyrics are so beautifully sad, delivered here in such a raw,
almost frail way, that it made me tear up. Nice work, you beautiful
woman.
Do see this show. It's a strange and darkly beautiful
creation that you won't quickly forget.
