The debut of Center Heart Theatre Company, The Sound of Water is an unforgettably arresting play. The imagined landscapes and portrayed relationships were so vivid I forgot I was watching a performance, feeling instead like a fly on the wall during real events.
Detailing a fearful life on an American farm after six years of drought, The Sound of Water considers whether it is better to stick with tried and tested agricultural methods, or whether these are underdeveloped for today’s world. The farm’s patriarch, Tobias, recognises the harmful consequences of industrialisation and as a result is resistant to modernisation. On the other hand, researcher Jacob promotes using technology to maximise the efficiency of the farm’s limited resources. The other characters are pulled between these arguments, and the audience are pulled right along with them.
In part, the beauty of this play lies in the variety of creative devices used. Alongside dialogue, meaning is conveyed through joyful traditional group dances and modern choreography executed with precision. At times, the actors’ bodies serve as the landscape, they mime props effectively, and montage-like scenes represent the passing of time. The fluidity of the water translates into the actors’ mesmerising physicality. As for sound, the crisp, well-projected voices of the cast are supported by folksy instrumentals, blaring government alerts, and the sound — believe it or not — of water flowing. All of this combines with an effortless cohesion into an emotional, impactful whole.
Although a small community survive on this farm, none are connected to the land around them quite like Katherine. Played by the extraordinary Yael Eve, Katherine has a captivating childish energy. Through Katherine’s knowledge of the canyon and belief in life, hope blossoms for water. However, reminded by ‘the full-bodied curves of the rock’, she is brutally aware, more so than the others, that ‘nothing lasts forever.’ Supporting Eve, every member of the ensemble is bewitching and brilliant.
The shock ending of The Sound of Water is the perfect finish to such a profound and moving play. The audience are left in stunned contemplation in a way few other statement-making Fringe shows manage to achieve. Director Julia Ott has pulled off a unique and terrific debut.
Image courtesy of theSpaceUK, provided to The Student as press material.
