half art
CHRIS THURMAN: The discomfort of silence
A Market Theatre audience shows how little we are prepared to do the work of reflection on our daily sensory overload
When you walk into the theatre to watch Rule of Three, you’re given a pair of earplugs. This is because the piece, developed by Belgian choreographer Jan Martens in collaboration with US drummer and producer NAH, gets quite loud. I mean ears-ringing-from-standing-next-to-the-speaker loud. It’s also bright. I mean epileptic-seizure-inducing-strobes-coming-through-your-eyelids bright. The aim is, in part, to reproduce the atmosphere and experience of a club. There is the sensory overload, the heady excitement, the adrenalin and euphoria. And there is the low that follows (or even accompanies) the high: a profound sense of alienation, a kind of existential emptiness or false escapism, a feeling of loneliness despite being in a crowd. Martens also seeks to replicate the “noise” of everyday life — the fragmentary but endless stream of a Facebook feed, the disconnection that comes from living in a hyper-connected world, the constant distraction we are offered and our consequent restlessne...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.