4.5 stars
Milk Box Theatre Company presents the world premiere of ARADIA at FRINGE WORLD 2020.
This is a show that draws insightful parallels between witchcraft and feminism.
Image by Dominique Felicity Chapman
Opening with our coven dancing around a black drum—the container, not the musical instrument, and surely the best modern analogue for a cauldron—bubbling with mystical vapours, the cast hams it up in a classic pop-culture depiction of witches.
We’re quickly enlightened as to who Aradia is, the daughter of the Roman goddess Diana sent to earth to free the oppressed through witchcraft.
There’s a delightful surrender to the theatre of it all from the performers, who easily convince the audience that they really are a coven and, in a way that is soon to become apparent, they are.
The witch trials become a central theme—the Malleus Maleficarum gets a swift but dazzlingly effective smack-down—and the parallel between the historical and current persecution of women is clearly spelt out. Through a narrative that weaves parody and satire, we see exactly the insidious nature of an array of injustices that must be brought to an end.
ARADIA uses a highly variable tone to great effect, allowing the heavier material to hit harder, without bogging the show down.
Each of the witches share personal stories and, as they state at the start of the show, they’re speaking for themselves, not wanting to speak for anyone else.
Harriet Morley’s physical comedy is a real highlight, and her ability to deliver a sobering message on mental health while having the audience erupting in laughter is quite a feat.
Climate change comes into scope too, with a poignant scene marrying being burned at the stake with facing the very real prospect of being caught in a bushfire.
Clever use of lighting and projection throughout serves to supplement the performance.
Ultimately, ARADIA is a strong piece of very smart social commentary and a powerful call to action, with a brilliant ensemble cast and a control of tone that manages to entertain as much as it educates.
GLEN SEABROOK-BENSON