Zoe Christall
I came for the name, I stayed for the quirky characters, artful depiction of a chaotic mind and emotional renderings of a brain hurt and overwhelmed.
As I take my seat on a muggy, damp Wednesday night in Wellington, I can feel the stresses of my day wash off me. The vibes are chill. There’s spacey beats playing in the Dome Stage before us, strips of white fabric drift down from the ceiling in gentle waves. I'm intrigued by the set, made even more curious by the spots of white feathers and lace I can see in the gaps between each thin curtain. First impressions are important, and Alma and The Mind Galaxy has certainly drawn me in before it's even started.
Alma and the Mind Galaxy occurs almost entirely in the mind of Alma (Ngarongonui Mareikura). When Alma ends up in hospital with a severe migraine, two quirky medical staff (Rachel Tuki and Max Steel) take her to get an ECG. The doctor promptly demands that Alma “fall asleep as soon as possible” with the follow-up of “I need you to RELAX” in a very unrelaxing tone. We, the audience, giggle with sympathy and then Alma (against all odds) falls asleep. Thus, we are thrust into her very restless mind.
I think I could talk about the scenography of this show forever. For the purposes of this review, I’ll keep it to a paragraph. First, the set (Henry Brosnahan). What can I say about it other than: it’s giving brain. It’s a dynamic design with layers of platforms, steps, hidey-holes and projection screens for the performers to play in. For me, the artfully draped frills really give the feel of brain ridges (nicely reflected in the costume design) while the cleverly hidden props remind us that in the mind anything is possible. The set is all soft whites and beige, allowing the gorgeous hues of light (Tom Smith) to pop like neurons firing. The use of gobos and projection truly felt inspired by the electrical sparks in the brain we call thoughts. The sound design (Kieran Redmond) was another strong element of the scenography. Sometimes stressful and too loud (as our own thoughts sometimes can be), sometimes soft and atmospheric, sometimes in the form of voices from far away. The latter element of the sound design was particularly inspired - it was a gentle reminder that action was happening in the waking world around Alma and soon she would wake. All elements of the scenography worked in harmony and for me was one of the strongest elements of the show.
The trio of performers had a lovely dynamic and rose to the challenge of working with such a dynamic set. I loved seeing the confidence with which they navigated the steps and ladders. Knowing that this is a development season, I’d love to see the show’s director (Dryw McArthur) encourage the actors to play more with the set and the way they move around it. With a set so tactile, I felt it could have been utilised more.
Speaking of development, I think the next step for performance will be to play with more surrealism and larger than life characterisation. Tuki played an interesting Guide - the voice of reason in a chaotic mind. I enjoyed their comedic timing and authority, but if The Guide is some manifestation of a neuron or entity within Alma’s mind (which we learn is overwhelmed and almost certainly neurodivergent), then surely there should be an element of chaos to their character? I wanted to see The Guide’s quirkiness sky-rocket. Shoutout to Steel who played multiple characters including Shadow, a doctor, dream versions of Alma’s boss, sister and ex boyfriend, and also sassy comedic relief and reality check. They gave a charismatic performance but the variation between characters played by Shadow in Alma’s head was minimal. Again, I want to see larger than life characters - and from what I saw tonight, I absolutely believe Steel is capable. I encourage the team also to explore the relationship between The Guide and Shadow further. These are two mind entities who exist to guide Alma through her subconscious, but what are they to each other? It’s clear The Guide is in charge and Shadow is more of a diva-type actor, here to present Alma’s memories back to her. We saw a bit of antagonism between the two and I think it would have been interesting to see more. Mareikura remained pretty consistent throughout in their performance and while Alma was a very sympathetic character, I’d like to see more development in Alma’s emotional journey. It felt rushed at times. Each character is incredibly interesting, and the creative team have only just scratched their surface.
The script (Isabel Pecora) is where I was personally lost a little bit at times. The three core memories - Alma’s relationship with her sister, her struggles at work and her break-up with her partner - felt disconnected and muddled. This confusion had me switching off more than once. I’d encourage the team to do a few more script readings to understand whether other audiences might feel the same. The strongest scene for me were the ones that took part in Alma’s workplace. The themes of understanding neurodivergence and coming to accept it in yourself are clear for the most part, but I’m not sure if the script achieves exploration of them the whole time.
Objectively, the themes Alma and the Mind Galaxy covers are important. I think Alma is a character many people (I think here about my neurodivergent friends in particular) would relate to. I didn't personally relate to a lot of the action in the show and therefore felt disconnected from Alma but I get the feeling I might not be the target audience for this show. Overall, I think the show is far from finished, but it’s got an important kaupapa, a talented creative team, and I am genuinely excited to see its crew develop the story, world and characters.
The show blurb on the BATS website reads: “The conversation around neurodiversity has become increasingly prominent in our understanding of how we experience the world… Discovering your own mind can feel like a very isolating experience, however, this show will work to demonstrate it is a journey we all have in common.” One of my best friends, who is of the neuro-sparkly disposition, sat next to me in the audience. Much of the play’s themes I felt like an outsider to. I didn’t relate to much of Alma’s experiences, but I saw the struggles of a lot of my neurodivergent friends in her story. After the show, I asked my friend what she thought. She said to me that if she wasn’t diagnosed and medicated, she would have cried a lot more during the show. The feelings of impostor syndrome, of believing something is wrong with you (and not your environment), of constantly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, were feelings she strongly related to. Seeing these kinds of experiences represented on stage are important. It’s why many of us are in this industry.
Alma and the Mind Galaxy is part of the Six Degrees Festival and is on at BATS Theatre until the 7th December. Get your tickets here: https://bats.co.nz/whats-on/alma-and-the-mind-galaxy/