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First commission inspired by

Create the impossible

Create the impossible in a work that pushes the boundaries of your discipline to the extreme

In 1907, one of the world’s largest shipping magnates, chairman of White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay, proposed the commission of a new class of ocean liner – one that would compete on size rather than speed and become the ultimate statement of comfort and luxury. The result was RMS Titanic.

In 2019, emerging artists from the University of Melbourne were commissioned to create an ‘impossible’ work that pushes the boundaries of their discipline to the extreme. The artists have responded with complex and intricate pieces delving into themes such as rape culture and climate change.

Response

A black stage backed by a black curtain. The back of the stage is marked by two parallel lines of masking tape running from one side to the other, about half a metre apart.

The stage is empty and nothing moves.

A young man wanders in from the left and sits casually at the back of the stage, between the lines of tape. He's got dark curly hair and a short beard, and is wearing a grey, long-sleeved shirt, a beige flat cap and brown pants with black shoes. He's carrying a cloth bag which he puts down beside him as he sits.

With his hands folded in front of him, his arms resting on his knees, he stares at the ground with a pensive expression.

There...are more...than five ways to love you.

Appearing to break out of his reverie, he looks upwards as if searching the sky.

Passers-by of all ages and genders begin to bustle past in both directions.

NARRATOR: There are five ways, there are five waves, five ways' worth of loving you, that I can love towards you. I love you, and I love you in more than five ways. I can't describe the last time that I told someone that I love them in five different ways.

The same passers-by walk back and forth past the seated man, who shifts his position a little.

And you know, as a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever told anybody that I love them in more than five ways.

The seated young man gazes up at the people passing him, who don't acknowledge his presence. He slowly gets up and glances down at his hands, flexing his fingers a little, then he looks up and begins to sing in a slow, ponderous way.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

The pedestrians keep passing by without acknowledging him.

♪ There are more than five, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

The singer appears to become more sure of himself, and he projects his voice further.

♪ There are more than five ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ There are more, there are more ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He looks back and forth at the oblivious passers-by as he sings.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five, five, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

Singing emphatically, he holds out his hands like he's appealing to the people ignoring him, but they walk on and he keeps singing.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He looks a little despondent.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He becomes more animated, pacing around a little and pumping his fist emphatically as he sings in a shout.

♪ Five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He becomes more subdued.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ Oh, there are, there are more than ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He holds out his hands in supplication to the passing people ignoring him.

♪ No, there are, there are more than ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He paces a little.

♪ No, no, there are, there are more than ♪

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

He steps forward eagerly, following some of the pedestrians a little way while singing to them.

♪ There are more than, more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than, more than five ways ♪

He sings in a speaking manner as though explaining something to the people ignoring him.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

He becomes a little agitated, gesturing pleadingly at the pedestrians.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He sings more emphatically but nobody acknowledges him.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

He holds out his hands again to the passers-by, with no effect. He wanders among them while singing.

♪ More than five ways, more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways, five ways, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways, five ways, five ways to love you ♪

He indicates different pedestrians as if he's singing to them personally.

♪ And you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He stomps one foot.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He paces back and forth, gesturing at everyone.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He wanders agitatedly.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five, five, five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

He sings more frustratedly as people continue to ignore him, his hands held out in supplication.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways, there are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He approaches individuals but they keep walking by.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

He looks a little weary.

♪ Love you, love you ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, c'mon, to love you ♪

He appeals to different pedestrians in turn, but with no response.

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He becomes more agitated.

♪ There are more than ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

He approaches individuals.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

Again he sings almost like he's explaining something to the people passing by.

♪ More than five ways, five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He gets agitated again, putting his hands on his head.

♪ Five, five fucking ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He seems tired and exasperated.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

He rubs his brow as he sings in a chatty way.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways, five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He indicates different pedestrians again.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

His shoulders droop wearily as the last pedestrian walks by.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

Everyone has gone. The singer turns around and picks up his cloth bag, swinging it over his shoulder as he strolls away.

The stage is empty for a long time.

SINGING VOICE: ♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

A woman's bare foot extends backwards onto the stage from the wings on the left.

The woman is a dancer, with short, dyed-blonde hair, a black top and black leggings. She slowly rolls her body along the curtain at the back, edging incrementally towards the right as though it's difficult to move.

♪ Five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

The dancer dips her head, then glances over her shoulder at the stage before twisting her body to move further along the curtain to the right.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There is more than five ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

The dancer extends her limbs and lets her body melt down the curtain as she slowly rolls onwards.

♪ Oh, to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are, there are more than five ways ♪

The dancer appears to struggle to peel herself off the curtain enough to turn and roll, but she slowly twists her body free and inches on.

♪ More than five ♪

♪ More than five, five ways ♪

The dancer plants her legs wide apart and leans back to twist herself over so that she's again facing the curtain. She seems unsteady on her feet.

♪ Five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

She droops her body forward and then slowly straightens up while turning and turning again towards the far right of the stage.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

The dancer leans her back against the curtain with her legs extended in front of her, then she pushes off with her hands and twists around to face the curtain and slowly roll onwards.

♪ More than five ♪

♪ Five ways to love ♪

♪ To love you ♪

Almost at the far end of the stage now, the dancer dips low and then straightens up to again push off the curtain and rotate herself a little further to the right.

♪ To love you ♪

She starts to twist herself out of sight at the far right-hand edge of the stage.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪/p>

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

The dancer has moved out of sight.

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Oh, to love you ♪

The stage remains empty.

♪ Oh, to love you ♪

An empty lane outside a grey apartment building, it's ground-floor windows on the left reflecting graffiti on the wall across the street. On the right are the closed metal doors of a utilities room.

A bright-orange hatchback drives past from right to left, then the lane is empty again.

A young man wanders in from the left and sits casually on the kerb beneath the windows. He's got dark curly hair and a short beard, and is wearing a grey, long-sleeved shirt, a beige flat cap and brown pants with black shoes. He's carrying a cloth bag which he puts down beside him as he sits.

With his hands folded in front of him, his arms resting on his knees, he stares at the ground with a pensive expression.

There are...more than...five ways...to love you.

He shifts his position a little, but keeps staring ponderously into space. He looks up, and passers-by of all ages and genders begin to bustle past in both directions.

The same passers-by return, walking past the seated man again.

And you know, as a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever told anybody that I love them in more than five ways.

The same passers-by walk back and forth in front of the young man at the kerb, who slowly gets up and clears his throat. He stares searchingly at the palm of his left hand held out in front of him, then looks up and begins to sing in a slow, ponderous way.

♪ There are ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

The pedestrians keep passing by without acknowledging him.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

The busker appears to become more sure of himself, and he projects his voice further.

♪ There ♪

♪ There are more ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than, more than five ways ♪

He smiles a little, looking back and forth at the oblivious passers-by as he sings.

♪ There are, there are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than, more than five, five, five ways ♪

The busker paces slowly back and forth, looking like he's considering something as he sings.

♪ There are, there are, there are more than five ♪

He briefly holds out one hand like he's appealing to the people ignoring him, but they walk on and he keeps singing, unfazed.

♪ There are more than, there are more than ♪

♪ There are more than five ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

He shakes his head and swats away a fly.

♪ More than five ways ♪/p>

♪ More than five ways ♪

He becomes more animated, pacing around a little and following the passers-by with his eyes.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

He gestures emphatically with his left hand.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He closes his eyes and opens his mouth wide as he belts out the song.

♪ Five ways ♪

He becomes subdued and ponderous again.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He steps forward eagerly, approaching some of the pedestrians who continue to pass without acknowledging him.

♪ Five ways, five ways, there are more than five ♪

♪ More than five, more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He becomes more emphatic in his singing, holding out his hands to the pedestrians, who walk on by.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

He rocks back on one foot, then watches a blue hatchback driving past down the lane.

♪ More than five, five, five, five ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

The pedestrians resume their bustling back and forth when the car has gone.

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ To love you, you, you ♪

♪ You, you, you ♪

He holds out his hands again to the passers-by, with no effect. He wanders among them while singing.

♪ More than five ways, there are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Love you ♪

He paces, rocking a little to his own syncopated rhythm.

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Oh to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, more than five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

He walks right up to several pedestrians in turn, but they ignore him.

♪ To love you ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He sings more frustratedly as people continue to ignore him, his hands held out in supplication.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He becomes more subdued again, occasionally still appealing with his hands to the people ignoring him.

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He indicates different pedestrians as if he's singing to them personally.

♪ To love you ♪

He becomes even more pleading as he sings agitatedly at the people ignoring him.

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ More than five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He shrieks the next lyric, contorting his body to belt out the song.

♪ Five ways to love, to love you ♪

♪ You ♪

Composing himself again, he sings almost like he's explaining something to the people passing by.

♪ There are, there are more ♪

♪ There, there, there are more than, more than five ways ♪

He gets agitated again, stomping between the pedestrians with wild gestures.

♪ More than five, more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

He jigs around a little like a showman.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

With frustrated hand gestures, he appeals again to the passers-by, to no avail.

♪ There are more than five ways,
more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than
five ways to love you ♪

He indicates different pedestrians again.

♪ To love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways, five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He clicks his fingers.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways,
five ways, five ways ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

Looking exasperated, he gestures at individuals, who ignore him.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

He sings in a shout.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

He jigs again, clicking his fingers.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways, more than five ways ♪

His pleading demeanour returns.

♪ There are more, there are more, there are more ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ More than five ways to love you ♪

He addresses different people again, with no response.

♪ To love you ♪

He follows some of the pedestrians a short way while singing to them.

♪ More than five ways, there are more than five ways ♪

He looks fed up, but keeps singing.

♪ Five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ To love you, to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ And you ♪

He becomes agitated.

♪ There are more than five fucking ways ♪

♪ Five fucking ways to love you ♪

He calms down again, waving his arms wearily.

♪ To love you ♪

♪ Love you ♪

♪ Love ♪

He clicks again and swaggers a little.

♪ More than five ways, five ways, five ways ♪

Putting his hands on his head, he roars the next lyric.

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

He looks weary, letting his shoulders droop a little.

♪ Five ways, five ways, five ways to love you ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

Everyone has gone. The busker wearily trudges back to the kerb, shoulders his cloth bag and heaves a sigh, then wanders away, leaving the lane empty.

After a minute-and-a-half, a woman's bare foot extends backwards into the lane from the left, beneath the windows.

The woman is a dancer, with short, dyed-blonde hair, a black top and black leggings. She slowly rolls her body along the windows, edging incrementally towards the right as though it's difficult to move.

She dips her head low as she painstakingly drags her feet towards the right, then plasters her back against the window and flips onto her front to roll onwards.

SINGING VOICE: ♪ There are more than five ways ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

The dancer finishes rolling across the windows and twists her body shakily around.

♪ There are more than five ♪

The dancer collapses backwards into the corner where the windows meet the wall.

♪ There is more than five ways ♪

The dancer plants her legs wide apart and attempts to wind her body back up out of the corner.

♪ Five ways ♪

♪ To love you ♪

The dancer edges herself incrementally out of the corner, plastering her back on the wall to the right of it and splaying her limbs wide.

♪ To love you ♪

She moves painstakingly slowly along the grey wall, sliding her body along its surface.

♪ There are more than five ways to love you ♪

♪ There are more than five ways ♪

The dancer steps away from the wall but appears unsteady on her feet, and she twists and shuffles her body around to face the wall again.

♪ To love you ♪

Leaning one hand on the wall, she twists the rest of her body around and reaches out to the street.

♪ There are, there are more than five ♪

The dancer steadies herself again by plastering her back to the wall, sliding along it towards the utility doors.

♪ There are more than five ♪

Rolling herself against the metal doors, she presses her chest into them and reaches out behind her.

♪ There is, there are more than five ways ♪

The dancer lowers herself towards the ground while rolling her back onto the doors, then she lifts one leg and rolls over again, keeping her body against the metal.

♪ More than five ways ♪

♪ Ways to love you ♪

The dancer keeps herself steady against the doors while looking back over her shoulder at the lane, then rolling onwards.

♪ There are more than, there are more than, there are more than ♪

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

Keeping one hand on the door handle, she peels herself off the doors and rolls almost out of sight on the far right.

♪ To love, love you ♪

She lets go of the handle and slides down the door a little before rolling slowly out of sight.

♪ There are more than five, there are more than five ways ♪

The lane is empty again.

♪ Five ways to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

Nothing moves in the lane except a small bit of detritus scudding across the asphalt.

Blackout.

Carmen-Sibha Keiso

5 Ways

Follow on Instagram: @baba.sib

Artist Statement

5 Ways uncovers the semantics and processes of a typically stage-set theatre production whilst unveiling the relationships between actor, director, and stage. As if in his own delusion, a busker is immobilised by states of constant performativity and spectatorship, in contrast to the droll attitude of his environment. The use of repetition, drama and narration allows its audience to empathise with the busker’s inherent desperation for enlightenment.