Dashiel Reads To You review | Dashiel Agar | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Smith & Gertrude Gallery

When was the last time someone read you a book? Not an audiobook, not a podcast, but someone actually sat beside you and read the words out loud? For most adults, probably a very long time ago, but there is something wonderfully indulgent about being read to, particularly when you are lying on a bed and someone else is doing all the work.

Dashiel Reads To You turns this simple idea into a 30-minute escape from the outside world. The small gallery at Smith & Gertrude has been transformed into a cosy reading space, complete with a bed, bookshelf and chair belonging to Dashiel’s grandmother. Visitors can choose a book from the bookshelf, which has a mix of fiction and non-fiction, including Wicked and a dictionary, or bring their own. I brought along Memorial by Bryan Washington, a book I started several months ago before forgetting about it and had it sitting on my bedside table since. I handed it to Dashiel, who read me the first two chapters.

There is also a ticking clock and stuck to the wall are two pieces of paper bearing the words: SLOW DOWN. Lying on the bed, facing the gallery window, I could see people walking along Smith Street and the world continuing outside. But I was removed from it. Dashiel’s voice became the focus, while the ticking clock provided a gentle reminder that time was passing without me needing to do anything about it.

There is something almost childlike about the experience, but it never feels childish. As adults, we spend much of our time being responsible for ourselves. Here, for half an hour, someone else takes care of the reading. You simply lie down (or sit in a chair) and listen.

Dashiel Reads To You is a wonderfully simple idea that understands how rare it is to be given permission to stop. It is quiet, intimate and restful. There is no need to perform, participate or even hold the book. You just lie down, listen and let Dashiel do the reading. For 30 minutes, that is all you have to do.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Smith & Gertrude Galleryy, 73 Smith St, Fitzroy

Season: until 17 October | Mon, Thurs - Sat, various times
Duration: 30 minutes

Tickets: $17.50 Full | $12.50 Conc
 | $13 Hump Day Wednesday
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Image credit: Penelope Bartlau