A friend of mine who is passionate about the topic has spent much of April (“Autism Awareness Month”) reminding her Facebook friends that if you want to understand autistic people, you need to listen to autistic voices. This is what we are invited to do, both literally and metaphorically, in Kaleidoscope, a physical theatre piece by Company 2, playing at the Sydney Opera House until 28 April.
Ethan is a 13 year old boy who was diagnosed with Asperger Sydnrome at age 4. As a member of the cast of Kaleidoscope, Ethan tells us about how he sees the world, which is sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes colourful, sometimes dark. He is in the habit of cleaning his room every night before bed, but he doesn’t sleep much.
His fellow cast mates are a group of performers who, with Ethan, use acrobatic and physical performance, with music and video, to create vignettes that visually portray Ethan’s kaleidoscopic view of the world. We see a fitful night of sleep, as the pyjama clad ensemble makes pictures with their form, while lying on the floor. We witness a frantic circus romp that is getting ready in the morning. The world flies past in a marvelously choreographed routine in which Ethan is a high speed bicycle rider with the cast in pursuit. Things slow down in hanging bar routines, and greyscale pictures, like images from a kaleidoscope, accent a mesmerising pole climbing routine.
The pictures become increasingly colourful, as Ethan shows off his juggling skills, and the cast join together in a joyous pillow fight.
In the end, it is Ethan’s voice that pulls the whole collage together, with a reminder that every person in the world has something that makes them special, a place where they belong. For Ethan, that place is right there on the stage.
The recommended age for this production is 4+, and I think any age above 4 will appreciate this production on different levels. While my 5 year old doesn’t understand about Aspergers, she simply enjoyed the moving pictures and acrobatic feats (it did move a little bit slowly for her attention span, in a few parts, but she stayed with it), and it was a good invitation for a deeper conversation on the bus ride home. Older children will have more context for comprehending the themes, and adults, whether neurotypical or autistic, will have different lenses through which to see this piece.
My friend on Facebook also often also reminds us that if you’ve met one austistic person, you’ve met exactly that – one autistic person. In this 55 minute piece of theatre, we get to meet Ethan, whose vision is kaleidoscpic, and whose message is choosing love.
Kaleidoscope runs through 28 April at the Sydney Opera House
Website
Tickets: $25+ plus booking fee
Ages 4+
We attended Kaleidoscope as guests of the Sydney Opera House. Opinions are our own.