Little Murmur
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The UK's award-winning Aakash Odedra Company has returned to Melbourne with their latest production. Blending technology, stagecraft and traditional Indian dance styles to present Little Murmur. Over only 40 minutes, a solo performer, Kallirroi Vratti, weaves a beautiful visual tale for children and adults.
Little Murmur is inspired by choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra’s personal experience with dyslexia. Odedra was diagnosed at a young age. Little Murmur explores what it's like to live in a world where you struggle to process information and where your inability is emphasised more than your ability.
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Image : Arts Centre Melbourne
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Aimed at younger children and families, the show does well in composing a story that holds both audiences' interest. Vratti's manipulation of her body, moving around on the floor as she delivers lines, and the simple humour mixed into the script had the audience (mostly children) laughing throughout the show.
In the main story presented, Vratti’s character struggles to read what appears to be medical notes about herself, then tells the audience that it took 21 years to realise she was spelling her name wrong. She was missing an A - a personal story from Odedra, spelling their name with only one A for 21 years of their life.
After finding her A with the help of beautiful projections and Vratti dancing behind a transparent curtain that makes it look like she was causing the effect of the projections, Vratti’s character tells the audience that she feels in control now that she has found her A. However, in a flying swirl of paper, panic, and choreography, the A is lost again, and it becomes a question of what Vratti’s character will do to find it.
The inaugural show at The Arts Centre Melbourne’s new theatre space, The Show Room, Little Murmur, makes great use of the black-box style venue. The set features a circle of fans and a transparent curtain, with stunning visuals projected onto the draping curtain. These projections include a flock of birds flying out of a book, ripples of power created where Vratti’s character touches the drape, and even an entire other dancer with whom Vratti dances and battles.
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Image : Arts Centre Melbourne
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The show mostly features a blend of graceful movements, visual projections, and other stagecraft. For example, creating a swirling paper vortex using fans and paper falling from the theatre's roof. Odedra’s choreography draws from his training in Bharatanatyam and Kathak and that of renowned Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar. Both of these classic Indian dance styles use the face and expression to tell a story through movement, which was used heavily throughout the show. Along with footwork, hand signs, and other unique identifiers for Indian-style dancing, Little Murmur is a lovely introduction to this dance style.
With its beautiful, humorous message, stunning stagecraft, and intricate dancing, Little Murmur provides a perfect opportunity to introduce children to a theatre environment. The shorter length of the show makes it easier for many children who might struggle with a normal-length show to enjoy. It may also resonate with those who experience neurodivergence. Additionally, it's always a bonus for adults to enjoy a children's show.
Running from 27th of July through till the 4th of August at The Show Room at The Arts Centre, Melbourne.
