The money’s on the table. The group has self-nominated. The ideas are up. How will the money be spent? As the clock ticks down, this is the task taken up by the ‘Players’ in interactive theatre piece ‘The Money‘ at the 2016 Melbourne Festival.
The ‘performance’ is a live debate. Rules of the game: for one one hour, strangers determine how the cash they donated to buy a seat at a table will be spent. They must reach consensus or pass to another team. The host announces: ‘It is up to you to see what you can do together that you cannot do apart’.
The show is a combination of ancient ceremony and live reality experiment. In the Prahran Council Chamber (one of three venues throughout the Melbourne Festival), we watched the action at the central debating table. Election, conferral, and debate are all democratic processes at the foundation of modern society. This show asks what’s it like today? The people form ‘government’ and make decisions. Does charity triumph — or will they just go shopping? Is it need or greed? When it’s your own dollars and cents, the pressure is real.
Watching the paying ‘Players’ co-join and act is fascinating viewing. Strangers seem to have shared core values. The mix at each performance reflects the audience. It’s a combination of ages, ethnicities, genders, or social class. New Players join late. They change the mood, acting as devil’s advocates. The silent witnesses enjoy all the good parts of watching but not participating. At the end of proceedings, both groups mingle over free drinks. Talk to your favourite ‘character’ or chat with fellow audience members on your viewpoint from the chamber.
Behind the task big questions loom large: Are humans essentially selfish? What is society? Which is more important — the amount of money you have or how you spend it? In the end, it wasn’t the money that was engrossing.
The element of chance and the live happening charges this piece. Word-of-mouth will grow on this one, leading up to its final showing at the Parliament of Victoria’s Legislative Assembly. What’s at stake? Just human values themselves.
– Sarah
Sarah W. is a dance-trained theatre lover with a flair for the bold, and non-traditional performance platforms. On-the-street or in the box seat, she is always looking for quality works that push the envelope.
‘The Money’ runs 6-11 October, Prahran Town Hall; 13-16 October, Footscray Town Hall; and 19-23 October, Parliament of Victoria. 8pm (90 mins). Book tickets now.
These venues are wheelchair accessible.
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were the guests of TS Publicity.
Image credit: Melbourne Festival.
