“A visually striking meditation on an iconic historical figure that sadly fails to bring its titular character to life.”
Hildegard Von Bingen is an ambitious ensemble piece inspired by the life and works of a 12th century abbess, whose legacy as a female religious leader, polymath and visionary have become a source of inspiration and interest for many in the present day. Running at roughly 35 minutes in total, this work in progress is the brainchild of Kristin Winters, who performs alongside Miriam Elwell-Sutton and Sarah Kent. All three actors utilise a combination of monologues, narration and physicality to embody Hildegard in her various guises and life stages. The set is characterised by pale transparent curtains suspended from the ceiling, which the actors manipulate and shape as they move through the space.
Billed as a ‘physical opera’ and purporting to be a visceral multimedia experience, I attended with high expectations. Unfortunately the task of condensing such a complex figure as Hildegard Von Bingen into only 35 minutes proved too great a challenge on this occasion.
It’s unclear whether the creator consciously made the decision to focus primarily on Hildegard’s pain and struggles against the oppressive circumstances in which she lived, but this was very much the overarching theme, perhaps to the detriment of the piece. There was an over-reliance on didactic narration that, while offering up factual information, still provided precious little character insight and did nothing to enhance the intended atmosphere of the piece. The passages of text that were lifted from Hildegard’s own writings were intriguing but could have been conveyed in a less static manner.
Despite some clear attempts to delve into Hildegard’s emotional and sensory states, this was a performance that felt heady and cumbersome throughout. The important theme of Hildegard’s visions was mostly conveyed through movement, with actors juddering and contorting their bodies in agony. It would have perhaps been more interesting to experience an interpretation of the content of Hildegard’s visions rather than merely observing their somatic impact. From what I understand, Hildegard was a fountain of knowledge and inspiration, brimming with songs, poetry and mysticism. None of this was effectively captured in the play, resulting in a rather monotonous display of convulsions.
Some artistic choices also left me scratching my head long afterwards. The gleeful performance of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in response to a passage of text about Hildegard’s nuns wearing fine clothing and jewels was so jarring and tonally incoherent that I laughed out loud.
As a whole, the play’s greatest merits lay in the amalgamation of movement and design elements. The actors’ sinuous physicality combined with Alex Forey’s lighting design and David Cieri’s musical accompaniment provided some moments of clarity. I especially appreciated the interplay between light and shadow, the sombre starkness of the nuns’ clothing against the soft pastel-hued lighting and translucent drapes, the flowing textures of the fabric contrasting with the sharp repetitive movements of nuns hard at work.
This work already has some of the necessary ingredients of a lush multisensory experience but further integration of all its respective elements is needed. Such a singularly colourful and varied life as Hildegard Von Bingen’s deserves a much more complete exposition than this.