Take a cohort of high school students, nurture their talents in acting, dance, music and write a musical for them based on the school’s stated values.
The result is a fast moving 85 minutes, incorporating performance art with audio-visual elements and imaginative sets.
It is clearly about a company called Life Corporation, but never clear what goods or services it deals in or produces.
What is clear is a clash of values. It is a company that expects innovation and creativity while at the same time, like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, it wants its employees to “wake up every morning terrified” of not meeting expectations.
As a result it keeps the audience enthralled but confused by seducing them into barracking for one set of values, before confronting them with their consequences.
It didn’t tell you what to think: it invited you to think.
The result is something like the great 20th Century play, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.
At the end of its Broadway premiere the audience were silent, stunned, before they began to mutter and even argue amongst themselves for minutes before breaking into belated applause.
The effect was similar at Esperance Civic Centre on Saturday.
After several curtain calls, which were performances in themselves, the audience was not sure if the show was over – until the house lights came on.
Yet the 90 minutes moved quickly, and at no stage did anyone fell it was going too long.
A thoroughly entertaining evening showing some surprisingly good talent.
ESHS continues to punch above its weight.
