'Dirty Birds' had its premiere within the gilded aviary of the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, nestled inside the plumage of the Heath Ledger Theatre.
Deeply rooted in the Irish heritage of the McElhinney sisters, the work, presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company, is a culmination of 20-years’ introspection.
It is truly fascinating to watch Mandy ('Wakefield', 'The Glass Menagerie') and Hayley ('Mystery Road: Origin', 'Oil') on stage together. The absurdist nature of the piece really allows them to tap into the nostalgia of childhood, and because of this, the audience is treated to the intricacies of sisterhood.
Philosophical in nature, peppered with humour through the whole performance, 'Dirty Birds' is an open letter to the audience: society may constantly change the goal posts, and project what it means to be human, but embrace your own birdbrain energy, and find pockets of love, fun, and connection where you can – for loneliness and boredom are just social constructs, from a species so creative and expansive, we pigeonhole ourselves.
The performance is framed by a seemingly simple set design, featuring expert stage management and lighting techniques. It hones the focus on the sisters, until you realise the subtle changes that have occurred in the 'world' around you. As the performance deepens, the house changes, folding in on itself as the sisters slowly accept their shared future. The mechanisms, design, and sound of the last 15 minutes is such an engaging culmination of the work – the metaphorical impact is breathtaking.
Image © Daniel J Grant
In a nutshell (or eggshell), absurdist theatre largely focuses on existentialism and tends to express the human condition, and the lack of purpose or communication breakdowns – think Lewis Carroll’s 'Wonderland', but more vaudevillian. 'Dirty Birds' has the theatrical strengths of Shakespeare, while equally employing the 'unlikable' cousin through the comedy and techniques of absurdism.
This is to say that 'Dirty Birds' may not be for everyone. If you’re not a fan of absurdist theatre, this performance may be a chore for its 70 minute runtime. It’s a segmented performance, where acting dips between genres, mixes time periods, and switches between accents. Despite this, the work is a testament to the writing and performance ability of the McElhinneys, and should be experienced and celebrated.
'Dirty Birds' is the shared debut work of the McElhinneys, and is a work of big voices and small conversations.
