Masina Returns Home
Bruce Mason Centre | 16 - 31 October 2019

| Touch Compass Dance Company |

The Bruce Mason Centre is a venue where I’ve performed and seen many shows, yet none of those experiences compare or compete with Masina Returning Home by Touch Compass Dance Company. There's something magical about being in a theatre so big, being a part of a crowd, both an individual and collective, as we watch performers tell their stories. Today, I felt humbled to sit in the audience watching.

Touch Compass Dance Company has created theatre that is genuinely accessible to everyone. Using songs, music, dance, words, sign and multisensory props, we witness the exploration and discovery of Masina's Voyage home.

While the storyline is important, it's not the main point of this show. Their objective is to bring the experience of theatre to all. It doesn't rely on complicated dramas or tensions to get you hooked and engaged; it is simply a story of coming back home and home to our souls and surroundings. This journey has been a personal discovery for performer Lusi Faiva, who plays Masina. The magic is in how each section of the story is performed to us, and it is cemented when the performers come over and personally connect. The first 10 minutes of the show is our journey from the foyer, down the elevator and to side stage, where we are welcomed by the beautifully calm performer Katrina George and the multi-talented musician Sam Jones as he plays Jazzy tunes on the clarinet and saxophone. Katrina takes her time to invite each child personally into the theatre and to their seat, positioned on stage, close to the performers. It's different from the traditional way we are used to witnessing a show but completely necessary in this case. Seven audience members join me with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their carers. 

Watching Lusi, Katrina and Sam weave together songs, music, dialogue and sign, is nothing I've seen before; it's all happening, and you're already a part of the show. Katrina, who plays Sina, a young Samoan woman on a journey of discovery, sings with power but with an understanding that her luscious melodies can calm and beckon you; you can listen to her all day. 

Performer Laura MacLean helped the cast create the sensory aspects, carefully guiding each child through the different sensations. I relished feeling the rain and icefall in my hands as a storm passed, the taste of the sea as it crashed and sprayed into my mouth, the feeling of sand and shells between my fingers, vibrations of the drums upon arrival and the stars of the night sky as they danced around my face.  These elements were created and performed for us individually by using a block of ice and grating it above our hands to feel the cold, a small spray bottle filled with saltwater and sprayed onto our tongues, bowls of shells and sand, the chance to play a small handheld drum and glass jars filled with white fairy lights that where controlled by the performers. I found joy in seeing each audience member experience the same thing. To hear their delight and see one boy completely engaged, unable to take his eyes off the performance. This is theatre, but not as we know it. Sure, you could perform this show in other venues and spaces, but you would lose the objective of bringing theatre to all. The way the lights shine and disappear, the sounds echo around the theatre and the way the set glows. It's a right to be able to experience shows; why should it be any different for people who have disabilities? This show is not designed for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the beauty and worth that a show like this brings to people. 

Touch Compass Dance Company's vision is "To shift perceptions, empower participants, and inspire audiences." They "work creatively with world-class choreographers and directors to collaborate with disabled and non-disabled performers to draw out narratives that challenge perceptions about what performance is and who can do it."

Director Laughton Kora has opened up space and allowed Lusi (a founding member of Touch Compass) to explore her Samoan heritage and perform in a community she is a part of. 

The company can continue to create theatre works and performances for all. They find their market to spread the word and allow others to experience the magic of these shows. 

Thank you. Today was a reminder of the importance of theatre and the experiences it gives us.

- Review for Up Your Arts 2019