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Adelaide Fringe 2013

Loaded Heart

McArts

Genre: Physical Theatre

Venue: Harry’s Bar (upstairs), 12 Grenfell Street, Adelaide

Festival:


Low Down

Loaded Heart is an edgy, confronting show about the complicated task of finding true love in the 21st century. This is a generation of people easily distracted by technology, alcohol, drugs and partying hard; knowing what’s real and what’s fake becomes more and more difficult. These distractions prove to have dire consequences that are depicted through powerhouse performances from the eight cast members, strong choreography and dynamic soundtrack.

Review

This powerful performance features eight young men and women who rebel against the conventions of society—they take drugs, drink copious amounts of alcohol, party hard…in the midst of all of this, they experience a moment of inexplicable clarity. In the haze of the psychedelic music and pounding lights each of them connects with another and feels complete—a sensation of pure joy and happiness that no drug can emulate. The reality is that these relationships have more downs than ups and so the vicious circle of rebellion and angst continues until the characters find partners that understand, want, need, and love them for who they are. 

The story is told through a dynamic soundtrack consisting of punk, grunge, and rock music that sets the tone; the pounding lights also set the scene for an intoxicating show, coupled with striking choreography, and powerful performances from all of the cast. The themes appeal to Generations X and Y taking elements from the British punk scene, and 90s grunge culture to create a story that everyone can relate to on some level.

Confronting, provocative, controversial—this show is not for the faint-hearted and far from a simple tale of finding love in the chaos of the 21st century. The cast use their bodies and movement to convey the raw emotions; their facial expressions are never out of character and they hold onto the audience until the very end. The only negative is that the performance was at times melodramatic and repetitive, especially during the longer scenes but this was soon forgotten as the next part of the story emerged. 

Loaded Heart is not afraid tackle the dark issues head on—the controversial themes are softened by the perfectly timed choreography and graffiti-covered plastic chairs that serve as a metaphor for our plastic world where very little is real or simple. If Romeo and Juliet were punks on the street and communicated through the powerful medium of music this is how their story would have unfolded.

Published