From the Mouths of the Gods

Where do theories of determinism and free will fit in a theatrical landscape? If our past informs our choices in the present, how much agency do we have? And what does it mean if those real-world decisions are based on something scripted or made-up?

The Flanagan Collective are tackling all of these questions in From the Mouths of Gods. Performed by a different actor every day, Alexander Wright’s script also requires a member of the audience to step into the spotlight and talk about themselves.

The show, which incorporates the probability theory devised by Australian mathematician, Tom Smith, throws up some interesting stuff about what it is that brings us to a particular time and place, and the role of "randomisation", of our spontaneous actions, in challenging (and changing) how we see ourselves.

It’s a cool idea but, like a lot of high concept, devised work, it isn’t always as clever as it thinks it is. The role played by the selected audience member amid the broader themes of the show feels forced. And—ironically—the gaps left for group discussion don’t affect the show’s trajectory. It feels like a missed opportunity.

There are times when it feels like the production is straining to blow our minds. Nonetheless, the blur between fact and fiction—that thin line between being and performing that is smudged by the final moments of Wright’s script—exerts its own pull. It’s the ghost in the machine animating this show and giving it life.