'Bunny' is not a rope bondage performance; it is an interactive immersion within a world most taboo.
There are few, if any, norms or rules for what a rope bondage show should be. Daniel Kok and Luke George’s 'Bunny' as part of OzAsia Festival is not theatre; there is no trace of narrative and the fourth wall is entirely deconstructed. It is not dance or acrobatics, although there are instances when these art forms briefly emerge. Watching 'Bunny' is akin to being suspicious about what your neighbour is up to in their back shed, sneaking in through the unlocked door, seeing that they are engaged in bondage and then deciding to sit down and watch, perhaps with the hidden hope of taking part.
Indeed, when the audience enter Nexus Arts, Luke is already intricately tethering Daniel to a rope and buckle, dangling from the ceiling. Throughout 'Bunny’s two-hour time span, Luke and Daniel engage with the audience but they are not slaves to it; artistic norms are defied in the same way that rope bondage defies sexual norms. Defying the status quo inevitably comes with risk and reward.
Image © Bernie NgAudience members, seated as they are on the floor in a square surrounding the stage, have nowhere to hide. All within the venue become voyeurs, except for the handful of ticket holders who are roped into active participation. As you watch, you are compelled to examine the emotions that emerge from within. Do you feel empathy for those being constrained? “Gee they look a bit uncomfortable; how do they feel about being reduced to such a vulnerable state?”
The inverse of vulnerability is power. It becomes a social experiment when Luke calls for volunteers to manipulate the scene; who, within the sea of unfamiliar faces, will spring to their feet and exert their dominance? Who will actively submit or avert their gaze with the aim of being ignored. I find myself watching and judging the crowd as though I am sitting on a bus; he looks like he is really into this; she looks like she is ready to walk out. The show’s construction and glacier-like pacing is perhaps designed to induce introspection and people watching, but it had the potential to alienate some.
Image © Chris Frape'Bunny' contains vast stretches of awkward silence and meandering stage activity. On some occasions, you feel like turning to your friends and asking “do they know we are here?” In the words of Kurt Cobain, “here we are now, entertain us!”.
There is reason to believe that this aloofness is all a deliberate and calculated artistic choice designed to maximise audience participation; if you are not happy with the amount of action, make the action yourself. It is difficult to say whether some of the dead air, particularly in the early stages, could be trimmed without losing the essence of the show. Ultimately, 'Bunny' contains moments where the audience is confused, moments where they are spell-bound, but mostly moments where they are simply bound.
★★★☆☆ ½.
