All That is Wrong

Ontroerend Goed’s name has become synonymous with challenging and inventive theatre at the Fringe. But this latest work from the Belgian company is a more sober, if equally thoughtful, affair. It’s the third instalment in their trilogy on growing up, following 2008’s Once and For All We’re Going to Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen, and 2010’s Teenage Riot. In All That is Wrong, Koba Ryckewaert—who appeared in both aforementioned productions—has turned 18. Drawing with chalk on blackboard panels across the floor, she creates a mind map of anxieties, starting with her family (“single mum”) and her appearance (“skinny girl”) and branching out to global issues: racism, corruption, the environment, child soldiers, the euro and the Batman shootings all get a mention, among over 100 other concerns.

There’s almost no speech at all, though a video camera helps project Koba’s written words onto a screen for better visibility. The chalk and blackboard set also offers a school-like innocence. It’s a deeply personal piece, based on the things Koba really feels and cares about. But while there is some valuable humour amongst the angst, there’s a sense of action missing from the production. Writing about the world’s problems is important but it’s not enough by itself, and the show doesn’t take that step towards resolution, even if it's implicitly aware that these issues may never be solved.

Still, it’s a touching window into the mind of a young person still coming to grips with her place in the world, and the deeply likeable Koba radiates vulnerability and hope in every letter.