Entry: Encounter
Presented by: Untitled Warehouse Project
Directed by: Jacob Banks
Tāwhiri Warehouse, 18th Feb 2025
Reviewed by: Zac Fitzgibbon
Entering a dimly lit warehouse often strikes fear in most people. However, with Entry: Encounter, it becomes a journey of excitement and intrigue as we step into an unfamiliar realm, eager to explore.
Entry: Encounter is a sensory experience filled with surprises at every turn, forcing you to relearn your senses as you engage with the unknown.
Every element in this piece works seamlessly together. The set design by Rebekah de Roo provides a wondrously tactile canvas for the performance, while Matt Asunder’s pulsating rhythmic sounds form the living, beating heart of the show. The lighting (director Jacob Banks) and AV design (de Roo) transform the space into an ever-shifting landscape, immersing us completely. And I cannot forget the ethereal costumes and masks by Anne-Lisa Noordover, which create an eclectic congregation of creatures. These magnificent designs make the performance feel like an interactive wearable arts show.
The performers (Tim Fraser, Trinity Maydon, Xanthe Curtain, Aroha Morrison, Emma Rattenbury, Salomé Grace Neely, Megan Connolly, and Sophie Sheaf-Morrison) draw us into this mesmerising experience, captivating us with movement choreographed by Dan Nodder. They invite us to dance along, making us, the audience, part of the performance itself.
By the end of the piece, everyone is bopping along or dancing to the beat, surrounded by strange silhouettes. The design is immaculate – I cannot think of how it could be done any better. You can’t help but lose yourself in this place as you discover something new you didn’t realise you had inside.
This is such a high-quality production, and I hope to encounter it again. As part of their season, Untitled Warehouse Project also presents Entry: Exhibit and Entry: After Hours, which I can only imagine complement this piece excellently.
I’d be surprised if you didn’t have an out-of-body experience at this show. I implore you to step into the world of Entry: Encounter and see what people are raving about.
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