Sydney Reviews

I Wish..., the collaboration between Patch Theatre and Gravity & Other Myths, is an extraordinary piece of theatre. With playful performances that weave physical acrobatics, colour and technology, the team tackle one of life’s biggest enigmas. How to articulate, share and express the vast array of human emotions with our young folk. The anger that rises from us when we try and keep failing, the blended emotions as we strive to be ourselves and celebrate our uniqueness all the while trying to fit in and connect with others. The pride we feel when we succeed and the joy that consumes us when we are allowed to dream.

As an educator and a parent I am very aware of the complexities of human emotions in young children. They are experiencing the full range yet they are only just learning how to articulate them and how they affect their physical and mental states. As an adult I often talk to the children in my life about their emotions. This often leaves me feeling like I’ve left more questions than answers. Talking can only take you so far.

The magic of this show is that it doesn’t shy away from the intricacies of human emotion. In fact it revels in them. It uses tools that are accessible to growing brains. From the moment you walk in you are scanned and your secret colour is revealed. Colour is a masterful metaphor for emotions. Similar to how the hues of red and yellow can either complement each other or merge to form orange, humans too can encounter both fear and joy. These emotions may coexist or merge to evoke surprise.

The physical performances by Lisa Goldsworthy, Amanda Lee, Tommy Matthewman and Violetta Van Geyzel were spectacular. Bodies twisting and turning and expressing the ways our bodies carry emotions and expressing the tapestries of sentiments as they change and evolve. There were moments when I only noticed I was holding my breath when I heard my kids exhale loudly. Those moments when the cast were performing wonderful acrobatics. Balancing on each other, standing shoulder to shoulder, while on someone's shoulder. Tumbling through the air as one cast member throws another into the arms of a third.

My six year old son had two questions. One was can we put the songs on his playlist? And the other was can we watch it again because I really loved it?

He went on to tell his family that he went to a show about emotions. I am off to check out the extra educational resources that they are offering. I Wish... reminds us we have more tools than our voices when helping kids navigate the highs and lows of sentiment, temper and mood. I resolve to add dancing to my repertoire.