Dissonant Species (written by Michel Gordon Spence and Heather Marie Annis) sings a story about trying to understand. Trying to understand music, trying to understand sound, trying to understand people. Like a jumbled up music sheet with various timings and key changes and sounds with no set patterns. It is a piece that drums an exploration of both the very concepts of sound and music but also the music of our own lives. From a bump on the street causing a mental breakdown worthy of the intro to “In The Air Tonight”, to ideological clashes in the classroom, to the chaos of new parenthood. This story and its characters try to understand the noise and clash like the Oasis brothers.
The piece starts off on a high note, with a set design by Spence that highlights various musical instruments and a rotating structure mimicking an ever moving sound wave that had me going, “well now this is different.” It is a set that makes it clear what this play is going to be about right from the start and is a perfect backdrop for the story.
The production elements truly shine with lighting and projection by Laird Macdonald that effortlessly move the piece from the grounded to the sci fi. The sound design and music direction by Richard Lam utilizes the tech, space and performers in a perfect harmony that serve each other. The additional sound design and experiments by Christopher-Elizabeth continue to deepen the piece and display Theatre Gargantua’s skill in balancing interdisciplinary elements together in a way that blends into the piece like a tasty riff.
The performing ensemble of Spence, Annis, Nicholas Eddie, Malia Rogers, and Hannah Sunley-Paisley is a well-tuned choir with both fantastic group harmonies and solo stanzas. Directed by Jacque P.A Thomas, this ensemble key changes into distinct roles and stories with ease while also keeping their own unique sound. From becoming scientists and teachers during sound experiments and lessons to then becoming characters with their vulnerable solos and stories.
Dissonant Species, in this season’s theatrical album, is a track worth keeping on repeat and analysing. It is a showcase of what Theatre Gargantua excels in. It balances multiple interdisciplinary elements that work together like a well practiced orchestra. They do not overpower each other but they also do not fade into the background like Ska music did. It seeks to get down to the… bass (last one) of dissonance in sound and humanity and explore the… treble (ok actual last one) that it causes. This critic recommends taking off your headphones, turning off your Spotify, and heading over to Factory Theatre to take a listen to Dissonant Species.