A Year Without Summer review | Rising: Melbourne | Arts Centre Melbourne

Florentina Holzinger's A Year Without Summer takes its title from the extraordinary events of 1816, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in present-day Indonesia triggered a global climatic disaster. The resulting crop failures, famine and unseasonably cold weather led to what became known as the "Year Without a Summer", exposing both the fragility of human civilisation and the unpredictable power of the natural world.

Among those affected by this turbulent period was Mary Shelley, who spent the summer of 1816 confined indoors near Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and Lord Byron. Inspired by conversations of science, mortality and the possibility of creating life, Shelley began writing Frankenstein, a novel that continues to shape understandings of humanity’s relationship with technology and scientific ambition. Holzinger draws on this as the foundation for her production’s exploration of the body and its transformation through medicine and technology.

The 20+ performers represent a wide range of ages, body types and physical abilities, and their initial interactions are marked by warmth and affection as they slowly appear on stage. As the sequence unfolds, that intimacy deepens and clothing is gradually shed until the women form a fully nude tableau. The presence of unsimulated sexual activity may unsettle audiences, not from shock alone, but by its refusal to disguise acts typically considered private. In doing so, it challenges conventional expectations of theatrical representation, drawing a tension between discomfort and fascination that lingers throughout the show.

What follows is a relentless succession of performances that blur the boundaries between medical history, body horror, absurdist comedy and spectacle. Historical figures such as Josef Mengele and Georges Cuvier are presented as embodiments of scientific inquiry taken to disturbing extremes, while discussions of cancer, surgery and anatomical intervention repeatedly return to bodily vulnerability. Elsewhere, robotic dogs roam the stage as symbols of artificial life and technological breakthroughs, women are dramatically reborn as the emerge from a giant inflatable vagina, and elaborate surgical procedures unfold before the audience's eyes. Through these often startling images, Holzinger interrogates the intersections of science, medicine, and mortality, asking what happens when the pursuit of progress collides with the realities of human limitation.

Much of what we witness is undeniably confronting, yet beneath the provocation lies a profound sense of resilience and solidarity. The ensemble consistently look to one another for care and connection, allowing for moments of tenderness that stand in stark contrast to the physical and emotional ordeals they endure. While the production is deeply engaged with the ways women's bodies have been observed, regulated and medicalised across history, its message feels broader. In the face of ageing, illness and mortality, A Year Without Summer suggests that endurance is rarely an individual act. Instead, it is through community, compassion and mutual support that people find the strength to persevere.

A Year Without Summer was performed at Arts Centre Melbourne between 28 - 31 May, as part of the Rising: Melbourne.

Image credit: Mayra Wallraff