Breaking | Counterpilot
The first time I ever watched an unrehearsed theatre production was a good ten years ago. Playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s ‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit’ was performed to sold-out shows here at the Brisbane Powerhouse in 2013 as part of the World Theatre Festival.
At each performance a different actor read the script which came in a sealed envelope. There were no rehearsals, no director and no set.
Fast forward to 2022. Was I curious to see ‘Breaking’ by Counterpilot? Hell yeah! Not only would there be a different trio of guest actors reading unrehearsed scripts but (and here’s the clincher) each performance was going to be livestreamed AND the readings would be from an automated teleprompter. This cinched my decision to want to attend this innovative approach to presenting a live theatre performance.
But I was not prepared for what unfolded on my computer screen as I sat transfixed on my couch.
Nikhil Singh, Jo Thomas and Steven Rooke were my (I say ‘my’ because the livestream made it seem like I was the only audience member making for a somewhat intimate setting) news readers for this particular performance. Each of the actors were performing in what looked like separate locations. Each wore a set of headphones and stared directly at the teleprompter which felt spooky at times especially when their gaze was directed at me (the only audience member). During these moments it felt like the series of grim news bulletins had an isolating effect!
The performers’ direct eye contact invoked even more feelings of discomfort as I was being bombarded by one distressing news bulletin after another (and there was plenty) such as the animal shelter that caught alight and was now threatening to engulf the orphanage next door with flames (#savetheanimals #savethechildren); double amputee Mathilde Babineaux who set sail for a good cause and is now declared missing, air and sea search is still recovering her body parts from several locations; missing plane BS341 has been discovered but only charred remains of the passengers were found in the wreckage.
Each fresh (no pun intended), distressing news bulletin followed on from the previous broadcast adding to and multiplying the intensity of bad news. The accompanying images which were displayed alongside each news reporter were mostly graphic to the point of me having to avert my eyes for some of them.
Additionally, there was a rapidly scrolling news reel just below each reporter, some of which read ‘Local court tries shooting defendant, cheaper than jail’ or ‘Holy Grail discovered inside teen’s bedroom disguised as a bong’ or ‘Snooze button stops working on Doomsday Clock’. All written with such a wicked sense of humour!
A heavy feeling of helplessness and hopelessness overcame me as my anxiety increased with the unsettling news bulletins becoming grimmer and grimmer, sometimes bordering on the absurd, sometimes tinged with the darkest humour. Overall the weight of the well-scripted news bulletins was nothing short of palpable.
What a talented trio Nikhil, Jo and Steven proved to be on the night of my attendance. In hindsight, being unrehearsed and unprepared for the script lent an authenticity to their convincing performances as TV news anchors. At times, their composure was compromised, allowing their facial expressions to express surprise and even amusement at the overwhelming extent of the bad news they were being prompted to read. There were also times that this sole audience member glimpsed some playfulness in their individual performances which enhanced their respective delivery of the news bulletins.
Sound designer/composer Mike Willmet’s raw, visceral music score added to my overall experience and unwittingly managed to intensify my discomfort. All praise to Freddy Komp (video systems designer) for his technical expertise in ensuring that I was able to be entertained from the comfort of my own couch minus any technical hitches.
Nathan Sibthorpe (director/co-writer) and Maxine Mellor’s (co-writer) original script contained all the elements and then some of the doom and gloom we as consumers of the news are exposed to 24/7.
‘Breaking’ is unapologetically authentic, absolutely riveting and unashamedly dark.
‘Breaking’ confirms that the consumers’ undivided attention is directly reliant upon the shock factor employed by the broadcast media.
‘Breaking’ takes a compelling approach to being selective (or not) about broadcasting news stories… #nofilter.
‘Breaking’ is an all consuming, depleting and exhausting theatre experience (in a good way).
‘Breaking’ is a reality check and an apt reminder that the time is long overdue for us to change the way we consume the news.
It’s time for us to ditch our fixations with doom, gloom and the grim reaper.
It’s time to stop being so obsessed with global tragedy.
It’s time to become more savvy about the manipulative media.
It’s time…
