In Dublin’s Temple Bar, at The Ark, an immersive performance titled “Murmur” earns a four-star rating. Young, eager audience members are each allocated a brown rucksack prior to Camiel Corneille’s grand entrance, fuelling the atmosphere with anticipation. As Corneille graces the stage, unusual sounds of splashing, crunching, and buzzing emit from his form.
The performer ingeniously reveals a collection of miniature speakers concealed within his garb, each producing a unique sound, from the gusts of wind to the rush of water and the crackle of footsteps on pebbles. The sounds are intricately entwined with Corneille’s movements, as he crafts imaginary worlds and physical characters, supported by the musical motifs created by Stijn Dicke.
Corneille conducts an auditory spectacle, at one point mimicking a mechanical creature; his limbs folding and creaking as he crawls. Following this, an acrobatic series of twirls, flips, and tumbles are accomplished to the accompaniment of a multifaceted soundscape.
The audience, encircling the stage, are actively drawn into the performance. Corneille hands over speakers to certain overjoyed children, inviting them to move according to the sounds they hear. Suddenly, the purpose of their backpacks is made clear as they too join the chorus, transforming the entire audience into an integral part of this unique symphony.
The most striking instance of audience inclusion, however, is when Corneille, with the necessary consents, lifts a little boy onto his shoulders and spins him around, before settling him back to his seat. Clearly thrilled, the boy’s animated response encapsulates the liberating, thrilling and slightly risky nature of this child-centric show.
“Murmur,” a production from Belgium under the direction of Hanne Vandersteene and Mahlu Mertens, is decidedly bold and adventurous. Corneille, in a daring stunt, secures two substantial wooden speakers to a pair of aerial straps and sends them soaring and spinning across the stage, narrowly missing them as they swing by. It’s undoubtedly a pulse-racing spectacle.
Subsequently, Corneille himself launches into the air, spiralling around the confines of the performance space with such magnitude and vigour, you can’t help but be slightly apprehensive for a potential stray foot making its way to an unsuspecting young spectator’s face.
Despite this, Corneille exudes confidence and meticulousness in all his actions, putting the audience at ease. The young audience members emit gasps and giggles, captivated and revived by his aviation. This creative and ingenious performance engages the imagination through the interplay of sound and motion, enchanting both youngsters and grown-ups alike.