Ten Thousand Hours is a tribute to the hours and hours of work put in by the performers, to master their art. It starts off very low key, individuals warm up on stage while a giant digital clock in the background shows us the hours passing.
Well, these ‘kids’ are well and truly adults now and have the panache of seasoned acrobats. Their solo abilities as physical artists are brilliant as they challenge each other to perform certain routines in different styles, slow motion, like an Olympian, and more, solicited from the solo musician underscoring the action on stage. But when they work as one troupe collectively, the concept that gravity as a myth comes to the fore.
The way they effortlessly throw each other around, leap onto each-others shoulders and build human towers is hard to fathom for a while. Their style is very relaxed and almost anti-theatrical; they just do incredible things physically and make it look completely easy.
In the spirit of the show, without announcing anything, every so often they show us how this effortless gravity defying agility and prowess is accomplished by repeating something a few times. Their trials and errors displayed. The determination and repetition needed to achieve their superlative abilities becomes clear – in a very humble and human way.
I think it’s this anti-theatrical style that really makes GOM stand out; the pedestrian quality of the production combined with moves that are entirely unique to the company and enormously inventive offers a striking point of difference.
They have developed a style that displays their incredible abilities on their own terms without becoming a carbon copy of so many other troupes, no fancy make-up, no ring master, no excess or sexualised focus, simply outstanding physical entertainment that is jaw dropping to watch. Perfect for the whole family. They get five shining homegrown stars.
Ten Thousand Hours is on at Adelaide Fringe in Gluttony until 23 March. Get tickets here.
