All We Cannot Say - A Voiceless Party

In December, The Boon Companions created the immersive experience of The Clinic of Regrets. Set around the world’s first allergy tested, dermatologist-driven laboratory designed to help people process any regrets they may have and then to move on with their life. The event was met with strong, positive responses from attendees and this month, the anonymous art collective return with another event that is sure to get people talking with All We Cannot Say.

Except, there is a catch with this event, as talking is strictly prohibited. That's right, no commenting on how great someone's dress looks, how good the music is or introducing yourself to someone who caught your eye. But it's not all doom and gloom, as The Boon Companions assure me that there will still be liquor, dance, music, performance, art, story and immersive theatre, just without any talking. "We love the idea of having a party and taking away one element of how we communicate with others. Our hope for All We Cannot Say is that people still have a great time - drinking, dancing, interacting - but trust themselves to do so without using their voices. It's going to be a challenge, but we're trying to make it as safe and comfortable experience for attendees as possible."

Essentially a two-person company, The Boon Companions have a core team of performers and collaborators they work with to bring their immersive theatre events and installations to life, where they look to unleash the creativity of both cast and audience. "We love working together and relish the voluntary participatory nature of immersive theatre, the more elaborate the better. But we also like the fact that it is up to the audience on how much or how little they wish to either observe or 'join in' with what's happening," they say. "We are very inspired by the work of Punchdrunk (the team behind Sleep No More), and love the idea that no two people who attend one of our events go home having had the exact same experience. It's up to them to be proactive in what they seek out."
 
While the general theme of the night is made public, specific details of the event remain under the strictest of silence to allow for as much surprise on the night for participants. "As with all of our events, we never say who is on the bill - but there are some very exciting (and famous) performers taking part. There will be one-on-one experiences, music, dance, art, and plenty of places to just sit and drink and the chance to communicate with your friends in a non-verbal way," they explain. "We ask our audiences to roam the space at their own pace - there are several rooms with action occurring simultaneously and they need to trust that it's utterly impossible to catch every single performance or experience in the night. Follow your instincts and create your own evening."
 
The team have events running throughout the rest of the year, including an event for the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne on June 18th, and are planning their first Sydney event in July. So make sure you follow them on Facebook to keep up to date with all their future events. And if you see me at All We Cannot Say, come say hi - just don't use your voice. 

Venue: The Space Dance & Arts Centre, 318 Chapel St, Prahran
When: Friday 13 May 8pm - 11pm
Dress: White and Silver
Tickets: $30
Bookings & Further Info: All We Cannot Say - A Voiceless Party event page