REVIEW: PLANTATION A, Grimeborn opera festival at Arcola 11 – 14 September 2024

"An experimental sonic theatre journey to be experienced” ★★★½

“Plantation A”..., composed by Edward Jessen and performed by Phaedra Ensemble at the Arcola Theatre, is a daring sonic theatre work inspired by Alain Robbe-Grillet's 1957 novel Jealousy. This production forgoes traditional narrative structures, instead immersing the audience in an intricate world of sound and repetition, exploring themes of jealousy and obsession.

The performance unfolds on a minimalist set, where four musicians—a string trio and keyboardist—sit behind three towering TV screens that display fragmented images of plantation life: a woman brushing her hair, chairs on a veranda, and rotating aerial views of banana trees. This visual dissonance creates a sense of displacement, heightened by the sound design, where ordinary actions like placing a cup or fluffing a pillow carry eerie, heightened significance.

The central character of the piece, A…, is sung by the remarkable Polish soprano Anna Pych. Her portrayal of A… is one of the production’s highlights. Pych’s performance is haunting, and full of quiet intensity, her ability to convey layers of emotion through subtle movements and vocal dexterity is exceptional. Moving with a slow, enigmatic grace, Pych captures the mystery of A..., constantly leaving the audience guessing about her true intentions.

What distinguishes Plantation A... is its use of sound, drawing inspiration from musical techniques developed by Arnold Schönberg. Known for his twelve-tone method, Schönberg’s influence is evident in Jessen’s score, which emphasizes repetition and variation. Schönberg pioneered the idea that all twelve notes of the chromatic scale should be treated equally, avoiding traditional harmonic structures. Similarly, Jessen builds a sonic world where familiar musical patterns are deliberately deconstructed and rearranged, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

The meticulous sound design mimics Schönberg’s emphasis on variation, where even mundane actions take on emotional weight through their repeated, subtly altered presentations. This reflects the obsessive nature of the jealous husband, whose suspicions are conveyed not through direct action, but through the accumulation of sonic details.

The lighting and video projections, paired with this intricate soundscape, reinforce the cyclical nature of the story, creating a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. While the fragmented narrative may disorient some viewers, Plantation A... is a rewarding experience for those open to a more abstract, avant-garde approach to theatre.



In the end, Plantation A... is a daring piece of theatre, and its success lies in its unconventional approach to storytelling. Though disorienting at times, its commitment to experimenting with sound and minimal visuals is a bold and commendable step in modern sonic theatre. A work of art as much as it is a performance, Plantation A... is for those who appreciate theatre that challenges perception and embraces the uncanny.

Box Office: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/plantation-a/

Wednesday 11th - 14th September 2024- 7.30 pm at Arcola Theatre

Singer: Anna Pych

Dancer: Iris Athanasiadi

Composed by: Edward Jessen

Original Story by: Alain Robbe-Grillet

Musicians: Darius Thompson, Paloma Deike, Sergio Serra, Eliza McCarthy