Flux Job review

The world premiere of Lucy Guerin Inc.'s Flux Job is an enthralling piece where four dancers navigate the personal and the shared experience of going through a traumatic event. Created during the Melbourne lockdowns as a response to the pandemic, while not explicitly referring to it, the piece provides an opportunity for the audience to consider how we have changed and how we can come together in this strange new world we are living in.

The collaboration with Flux Job is evident with its design team consisting of Paul Lim's lighting, Andrew Treloar's vibrantly flowing sheer fabric costumes and Jethro Woodward's sound completely supporting each other. Along with Adena Jacobs' dramaturgy in the scripted word portion, and the choreography, the purpose of the show and the thoughts raised in it are fully fleshed out, giving us plenty to think about.

Lim's lighting design is packed with surprises from the brightly coloured squares that move along the floor, enveloping the dancers in the various colours they form, to the shadow work and spotlighting of the dancers within the final act of the performance. 

Woodward's composition keeps us on our toes as it takes us outside of ourselves with calming rainfall and other nature-like sounds and then without warning, jolting us back to the moment and encouraging us to look inside ourselves with loud but dull heartbeats vibrating and permeating within the space.

The four dancers - Amber McCartney, Geoffrey Watson, Lilian Steiner and Tra Mi Dinh - skillfully bring Guerin's choreography to life. They illustrate the idea of unity and community through their work as a team and also as individuals. It is truly remarkable how this is effectively presented in all elements of the show.

The finale is delivered as an act of defiance where despite the passing of time, the dancers are determined to keep moving ahead, which is expressed through their frenetic movements. At one point one of the dancers states that "whatever it is, it's coming and I'm just going to have to go there." Give the current situation of the world, it's fair to say we are all in a similar position, and that the resolve and spirit highlighted by Flux Job is what we need to get us through to the other side. Together.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Art House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
Season: until 20 March, 2pm and 7:30pm Sat, and 5pm Sun
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $20
Bookings: Arts House

Image Credit: Sarah Walker