★★★★
What does it mean to acknowledge the land on which you live? To recognise it for what it is besides a mixture of sand, dirt, rock, or whatever may physically constitute it? How can the history, ownership, and sensation of the land be captured? It is this question that Na Djinang Circus want to answer with their new production, Of the Land on Which We Meet. This is a bold and impressive theatrical display concerning itself with questions of colonisation and heritage, to truly remarkable effect.
Suitably for a show all about relatedness to the land, all of the acrobatics are floor-based. The triumvirate of performers, each with their own stories and connections to their homeland of Australia, are evidently pushing themselves to their limit. You can see and hear them straining during some of the more ambitious stunts, moves that at times steal your breath from under you. Occasionally their movement lacks fluidity and balance, but then this may reflect the far from smooth road that they are travelling to come to terms with the matter at hand. It makes for a transfixing experience, one that encourages meaningful reflection throughout as the dilemma of the land is explored through movement.
This is not an overly sincere show. There is comedy too; lighter moments that allow the personality of the performers to shine through. All three share their stories as the show unfolds, making Of the Land on Which We Meet a deeply personalised perspective in the matter at hand. It is the intimate relationship with the audience created by the trio that make for an even more dramatic performance. Their openness with the crowd, combined with their daring and highly creative onstage antics, make them heroes to the stupefied audience.
A physically and emotionally awe-inspiring show, Of the Land on Which We Meet will amaze you by finding new ways to ask the most important questions in a world still being shaped by the legacy of colonial rule. Identity, history, and the question of just who does the land belong to shape a dizzying spectacle of raw physicality and passion. It is not to be missed.
Of the Land on Which We Meet is being performed at Assembly Checkpoint until 25th August 2024 as part of Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Words by James Hanton
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