MindCon | European Foods Warehouse | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
MindCon is a dazzling debut from Mitch Harvey Company, supported by Co3 Contemporary Dance. Set in a dystopian future, MindCon tackles notions of the individual vs the other, despair versus joy and power versus powerlessness. As you can imagine, it is wracked with tension, which means there is space for a slither of hope, because one should always have hope at the end of the world… no matter how misguided it might be.
This is a bold work, one that showcases the talent of dancer Mitch Harvey with brilliant intensity. This is a dancer who is able to articulate the vast language of emotion into incredibly compressed movements and gestures. The result is hypnotic to behold, especially when placed amid the stark, architectural set design created by Mitch’s brother, Jackson Harvey, Season Two winner of LEGO Masters.
MindCon takes place in two acts. In the first act, a survivor finds themselves abandoned in a desolate landscape. They are alone (or presume that they are) and this realisation sets in motion an initial unravelling. But what soon emerges is a stark joy, one enthused with lament, as the survivor pays homage to the monuments of the past. Contrition appears as they thrash and splay across the altars of the old world. In this part, Harvey portrays the terror and wonder of isolation with an astute supplication that shifts between primal fear and profound enlightenment.
But, all this changes in act two when we discover there is another survivor, played by composer Louis Frere-Harvey. This performer emerges from the rubble and begins a live onslaught of percussive rhythms that shift and pitch the world of the initial survivor. The result? You’re going to have to watch the show – trust me, it is totally worth it.
Mitch Harvey was the inaugural recipient of Co3’s In Residence, a mid-career choreographic commission made possible by their Pathways Program, supported by The Wright Burt Foundation. To say that Harvey is a rising star is an understatement: this work bristles with intelligence and compassion and is delivered with grace and skill. Louis Frere-Harvey’s soundtrack is a mesmerising accompaniment, one that amplifies the tone of the show and pushes Mitch Harvey to excel.
MindCon is the kind of bold new work we love to see here in Perth. It encourages conversations around isolation and toxic masculinity and does so unabashedly. If Mitch Harvey is one to watch, then MindCon is essential viewing.
Accessibility note: This work takes place in the round with limited seating. Most audience members will find themselves standing for the duration of the show, so please wear comfortable shoes. There is also heavy use dry ice / smoke machines.
MindCon is running until Saturday 6th November at European Foods Warehouse on Francis Street, Northbridge. For more info head to co3.org.au
Scott-Patrick Mitchell, image: Matsu Photography
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