Hades Fading (Hades Memudar) is a bi-lingual work which re-imagines the Ancient Greek realm of Hades, fading away in a post-apocalyptic time where no humans are left to believe in it. Eurydice (Heliana Sinaga) sits in the fading library of Hades, trying to remember what type of nymph her mother was. When Persephone fades in from the overworld and informs Eurydice that there is no one left above, Eurydice must tell her story fresh from her own imagination, in an effort to keep from completely disappearing. Telling her story becomes her final act of resistance. A vocal and visual performance by Mainteater with writer/director Sandra Fiona Long, composed by Ria Soemardjo, visuals by Deden Bulqini and performed and designed by an ensemble from Indonesia and Australia, this work brings together 3 dimensional visuals with a soundscape created by live voice, guzheng harp, and an array of instruments and objects, to reflect on memory, media, the nature of belief, and the potential catastrophe awaiting humans if we don’t care for our world.
The work features a sophisticated interweaving of English and Indonesian language, stunning projections, and an original score performed live, and is accessible across Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa English through use of surtitles and mutual vocal translation.
Hades Fading is a highlight of Mainteater’s 27 years of award winning vocal and multilingual collaborations between artists in Bandung and Melbourne, reflecting on consumerism and its impact on the environment.
Creative Team
Writer/Director
Sandra Fiona Long
Performers
Heliana Sinaga, Wawan Sofwan, Godi Suwarna, Rinrin Candraresmi (Bandung), Dasep Sumarjani
Composer/performers
Ria Soemardjo (Melbourne) and Sisca Gunzeng Harp (Bandung)
Video artist and co-set designer
Deden Bulqini (Bandung)
Costume and co-set designer
Emily Barrie (Melbourne)
Lighting designer
Aji Sangiaji (Bandung)
Stage managers and costume assistants: Dasep Sumarjani, Rachmayati Nilakusumah, Rebecca Etchell
Originating Producers
Sahlan Mujtaba & Osi Presepti (Bandung) and Kath Papas (Melbourne)
Produced by Mainteater and Sandra Fiona Long
Photo by Mohammed Sa’iq
Performance History
World Premiere
28 – 30 August 2019
@NuArt Sculpture Park
(Bundung, Indonesia)
Australian Premiere
27 Feb -1 Mar 2020
Asia TOPA at La Mama Courthouse
(Melbourne, Australia)
Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Hades Fading uses spellbinding visual theatre, bilingual text and music to explore contemporary themes through ancient mythology. … Shadowplay has long featured in Indonesian theatre, and this 21st-century iteration – with lush projections from Deden Jalaludin Bulqini – is a triumph.”
– The Age/SMH
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Hades Fading (Hades Memudar) is a dream. It is a beautiful dream. It is a nightmare. It is funny, it is hope, it is despair, it is a warning. It is art."
– What Did She Think?
“… the collaborators, some of whom have worked together for more than two decades, are well-matched, with an obvious sense of mutual respect permeating throughout the entire production.”
– Arts Equator (Singapore)
“This collaboration between two countries was able to embrace two cultures into one beautiful dish of a show”
– Kompasiana (Indonesia)
“Stunning from all sides. Acting, design, music and especially the direction create a performance which is truly an aesthetic work of art from all angles.”
– Tribune Jateng (Indonesia)
