THEATRE REVIEW: There is a Globe Stuck in my Throat

It is often the case that the voices of the youth of our world are dismissed, diminished and derailed. They have been pushed aside as the adults deem their voice more worthy of a stage. This is a sad case, particularly when faced with the insightful and moving performance by the Junges Ensemble Marabu at the Chrysalis Festival.

There is a Globe Stuck in my Throat is a truly remarkable piece of theatre that challenges the viewer and makes them face their complacency. This is not a piece to judge the audience but rather share with them the views of young people who are struggling to figure out how to navigate the modern world. As the cast expertly encapsulate, we live in a world full of horror. No, not scary clowns or monsters under your bed kind of horror. The kind of horror this show emphasises is of humankind’s making; world poverty, genocide, human rights violations and the list goes on. The young group of performers do not try and sugar coat these monstrosities, instead, they ask the questions most of are too scared to ask. “How can I help?”, ‘Why should I feel guilty?”, “What difference can I make?” To address these issues without making the audience feel isolated and instead make them face them is a testament to the talent of this theatre group.

The use of monologue throughout the piece is well curated and the young performers captivate the entire room. The humorous injection throughout the performance was always impeccably timed and was an intelligent choice to ensure the show did not become overwhelming for the audience. The comedic inputs also allowed opportunities for the audience to laugh at themselves. There were multiple times throughout the show that the group used props or words to propel an idea in a new way. For example, the use of armbands which were inflated by suppressed thoughts was very clever and the use of overlapping dialogue highlighted the saturation of world problems we have to face.

The Junges Ensemble Marabu cast in this piece embodies the young people of our world. We are aware of the horror and injustices around us but we can’t figure out how to help. We feel alone in our mission despite being an army. An army of people who want change but are just figuring out what tools we have. There is a globe stuck in our throat and we don’t know how to fix it.