Ganesh Vs The Third Reich

Okay, so Ganesh Vs The Third Reich was an Australian theatre highlight in 2011 (but the student rush tickets rushed out). This show from Back to Back Theatre is in the midst of a world tour, with their hometown Geelong the only Australian stop. Ganesh Vs The Third Reich is a play, within a play, within a play. It tells the story of the elephant-headed god Ganesh travelling through Nazi Germany to reclaim the Swastika and a group of artists with mixed abilities devising a show about Ganesh's hero's journey. Moving between the two worlds is fluid and aided by the production elements. Rhian Hinkley's genius design is a layered affair like the piece itself. It's constructed from multiple giant plastic curtains made of greenhouse plastic (Gro-Tuff) with shadows animated/painted onto them to create different spaces. When light shines through the plastic it gives the illusion of mist. The sound of the curtains being pulled across the sparse space yanks us back into the 'real' world of the rehearsal room. Ganesh Vs The Third Reich as a theme park ride would be the 'Round Up' (the gravity one that makes your hair stand on end and your eyes widen). One minute we're laughing and the next we're holding our breath as confrontation slaps us in the face. It's intellectually rigorous, layered and emotionally powerful. We question our own perceptions of creating art and assess what theatre is, should and can be. This is a little disorientating, like getting off the Round Up, but also revolutionary.

Geelong Performing Arts Centre (finished)