Review: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MICHAEL K. at Grand Théâtre

The show we covered this week was the Life & Times of Michael K, a play based on the novel of the same name by J. M. Coetzee and adapted for the stage by Lara Foot. It presents the story of Michael, a humble gardener from Cape Town who goes through life suffering constant rejection due to his appearance. His sense of obligation towards his sick mother makes him question his purpose in life and embark on a journey through war-torn South Africa. While the play itself is rather vague in the definition of a political and social setting, this slightly alternate version of the country sees Michael cross roads and fields to reach his mother's hometown, in a process that makes him realize his connection to the earth and redefine his relation with humankind.

The gold: The presentation of the narrative. The fundamental cornerstone of the show was the puppet used to play Michael. Virtually every performer was engaged with the animation of the puppet, either through movement or sound. The collective effort functioned like clockwork and was nothing short of impressive. But while the physical coordination was absolutely masterful, what really made it so wonderful was the way it fit in the presentation of the narrative. Every aspect of story-telling gravitated around Michael, from the waving of his arm to character interactions, from actor blocking to the voice of the narrators. Every performer was always one minute away from picking up a prop, animating a puppet or describing a scene to the audience. And the result was amazing.

The silver: The music & sound. Always adding an extra layer of emotion and perfectly timed at every instance. In a show where you get so caught up with the physical components visible on stage, it was very nice to see this key element not only not forgotten, but adding so much to the performance.

The bronze: The death scene. Michael's reaction to the news of his mother's death, was the perfect example of what made this show so great. The extended moment of silence following the nurse's announcement was quite literally breathtaking, nothing moved both on stage and in the audience. Possibly one of the best emotional climaxes of the season.

As always, our thanks to the Grand Theátre for yet another great show.

Image credit: Fiona McPherson

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