MURDER
Inspired by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads, Erth meditate on the violence staining our world and delve into our culture’s obsession with murder.
AGES 18+
65 MINS
Welcome to the scene of the crime. A sinister yet compelling figure holds sway: interrogator, confessor and master of ceremonies, conjuring into life the figures of Nick Cave’s dark world of love, lust and death.
A visceral, intimate performance work, Murder uses the subversive power of puppetry to explore our voyeuristic fascination with murder and violence. Murder is the ultimate taboo – yet it’s slashed and splashed across every surface of our culture, in folklore, fantasy and fiction.
The Bible, classical tragedy, Shakespeare, film noir, cop shows, murder ballads, multiplayer gaming environments… How will I kill thee? Let me count the ways. Is it simply the ultimate form of drama, or do we have a primal craving for the extremities of life that our humdrum existence doesn’t provide? Erth toys with our voyeuristic relationship with the unthinkable; and asks, can an audience be complicit in these crimes?
Created by Erth, Murder is inspired by Nick Cave’s Murder Ballad ‘Stagger Lee’. This dark, intimate theatrical encounter will attack you when you least expect it.
Keep your eyes peeled. Murder can happen anywhere.
Sydney Festival TV 2013 previews Murder, blurring reality and fantasy in an acid trip-dreamscape that delves deep into our collective psyche.
“For its ambition and vision alone this was a festival highlight. ”
— Daily Telegraph
“Here the supposed cuteness of puppets travels down into the uncanny valley, in which replicas and representations of people are so almost‐but‐not‐quite human that the effect is disturbing. The puppetry is…masterful.”
— The Australian
“…a fulfilling, frightening and unforgettable theatrical illusion.”
— Barefoot Review
“Boldly going into territory few theatre companies would dare venture near, Erth plunge to the dark side and explore both the awful stories of violent death and our collective obsession with them. Thoughtful, compelling, entertaining and nasty in just about equal measures.”
— David Sefton, Artistic Director, Adelaide Festival