PENDULUM

‘I love that there’s a bus … love that journey for us,’ says Simon Abrahams, Melbourne Fringe Festivals Creative Director, as the shuttle bus departs Melbourne’s bustling Fringe Festival Hub and ferries us off to the vaulted industrial cathedral of the Docklands’ unique and beguiling Shed 21, which has been transformed into PENDULUM’s performance space. The adventure lies in this journey to an unfamiliar part of Melbourne and finding the spectacle within. 

Arriving at dusk, the sun reverberates off the majestic city skyline, casting a sea of glitter and gold across Melbourne’s Docklands. The greenly lit Bolte Bridge lumes over us as the seagulls chirp, and the fresh sea breeze pierces our skin with brash force. ‘I didn’t realize the performance was outside, I should have worn warmer clothes,’ is overheard by one of the patrons as we find a space to sit on the limited benches surrounding the make-shift stage, with many opting to stand. In front of us, an aesthetically satisfying field of golden pendulums are suspended over the stage, resting in equilibrium. 

Out of thin air, an intergenerational ensemble of women approach the stage dressed in identical golden tracksuits – designed by Harriet Oxley – blending them into the metallic surfaces of the environment. Expressionless yet determined, we accompany them into the world of PENDULUM, a movement-driven performance installation inspired by the ebb and flow of time, created by percussive artist sensation Matthias Schack-Arnott and globally renowned choreographer Lucy Guerin. Throughout the performance, the dancers roam amongst the weighted bells activating, hurling, catching, dodging and swinging them as they rush through the air in visceral sweeps of sound and light, tolling, humming and pulsing, driven by the speed and force of their motion. 

Throughout the performance, the dancers’ unwavering strength, focus and awareness was exceptional as they orchestrated angular swings, sweeping circles, gentle ripples and intertwined themselves with the patterns of the pendulums. Their movements were meticulously planned, synchronised and executed with the highest form of precision. 

Beautifully mesmerising, the creative team and performers of PENDULUM deserve the highest accolades for such an innovative and creative experience.

PENDULUM
Performed at Melbourne Fringe 2022
melbournefringe.com.au/archive-event/pendulum