La Mama: Wake up Hate

If resurrection is madness, then Wake up Hate is a descent into a delusion that is peppered with ideas of perspective, mania and observation.

This one-man show directed and performed by Paulo Castro explores the journey of a man who returns from death to film with his eyes.  At the same time an emerging paranoia starts to inveigle his world – he is also being observed and the voyeurs will encourage his revolt.

Staged simply, in a dark space with single lights used as both props and focused illumination, the murkiness with spot lit vignettes perpetuates the idea of descent into a dark ghoulish place, a deterioration. Castro is a strong physical performer, energetic, manic and arresting.

The storytelling is dynamic yet sometimes confusing. If we are to believe this is an angel it, is one with serious issues who tells his story with a fever pitch of flailing head and limbs,

and mimics the sound of a camera chewing through film. In the rapid delivery we are mesmerised, but often confused, is this the angel of death or a madman?

Wake Up Hate text was developed by Jan Fabre, a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer, and the text has been performed in eight countries.

If you are drawn to an intense hour of performance with an interesting premise, Wake Up Hate is at the La Mama Courthouse until August 11.