Nadia Collins in The Big Thingy

★★★★
dance review (adelaide) | Read in About 1 minute
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Published 04 Mar 2018
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In The Big Thingy, Nadia Collins is an alien who has found their way to Earth. It’s up to the audience to teach this alien what it means to be human. 

Collins is a natural clown: expressive, quick-witted and hilarious. There is very little spoken dialogue in the show, but Collins remains in constant conversation with the audience. It relies on having people willing to embrace participation; Collins is careful to make sure that involvement is at her own expense and she shows genuine warmth towards those engaging with her. 

The Big Thingy asks some big questions about humanity, language and kindness, as the audience struggles to decide whether to talk to the alien, whether to help or hold back, even whether they should feel free to laugh.

But there’s also an unspoken thread about how we welcome people with whom we don’t share language or understanding, and how we can learn to do that together. 

 This all makes for a a joyful innocence to the show that resonates long after the alien has found home.