Defending Justice

RICHARD WATTS speaks with dancer Paul White about a dramatic new production at the Malthouse Theatre, exploring life in the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Most Australians would now be familiar with the name of David Hicks, the young man who allegedly served with the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and who has since been held at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay for almost five years without being charged.

Although Hicks still languishes in solitary confinement, his story has been told through a powerful documentary, The President vs David Hicks. Now Honour Bound, a new production at the Malthouse Theatre, further explores David Hicks’ situation.

“One of great things with this show is that it isn’t preaching to the converted,” explains dancer Paul White, a cast member in the production.

“It’s been touching the Australian public and turning the spotlight onto them. A lot of people have seen that their ignorance about what’s going on in Guantanomo is actually a huge contribution to why [Hick’s incarceration] is still happening.”

The dynamic production, which has been created in consultation with Hicks’ father, features dance, video projection and aerial work in order to convey the loneliness and frustration of David’s long confinement.

Instead of seeking to present specific moments from Hicks’ life since he was picked up by Northern Alliance militia in Afghanistan in 2001, writer-director Nigel Jamieson and choreographer Garry Stewart have focused on broader themes.

“There are a lot of elements to it,” White explains. “All the characters are ambiguous, in that we don’t play out specific storylines or roles. It’s our job as dancers to present the inhumane treatment that the detainees are being subjected to, and we do that through fairly rigorous and vigorous movement.”

Theatrical productions which incorporate multimedia to such a degree as this production does can often feel chaotic, with the video projections seemingly tacked on to the rest of the show. This has not been the case with Honour Bound, White says.

“It is difficult incorporating new media, especially video in theatre, but in this work, for me, it’s been really successful. We have some footage of Bev and Terry, David Hicks’ parents, and it brings a real humanity to the piece, which is not normally the way with video. In Honour Bound though, it really works. It takes you on a journey with the dance.”

White himself has also gone on a journey with the show, having expanded his repertoire and skills to include some aerial work, which is an integral part of the production.

“There’s one scene, set high up on the back wall, which is like a bird’s eye view of an interrogation scene,” White says. “In another scene, the performer spirals from the roof down to the ground. It adds this ethereal, dream-like feel to the show. It all works so well, the ropes and the flying, because it’s symbolic of the constraints that Hicks is being subjected to.”

Honour Bound is now showing at the CUB Malthouse Theatre until October 1. Bookings on 9685 5111 or www.malthousetheatre.com.au.