Still Life, directed by Dimitris Papaioannou (the man who gave us the pomp and splendour of the Athens Olympics opening and closing ceremonies), is a series of unique individual performances combining to form a hallucination concocted by the director's mind. Inspired by the myth of Sisyphus, the Corinthian king tasked to roll a boulder up a hill for all eternity, Papaioannou tasks his actors with eccentric feats that call to mind the mundane drudgery we face every day. Especially Mondays.
The character of Sisyphus has inspired philosophers from Kafka to Camus, spurring them to assert that happiness can be found in the acceptance of our lot, and in the revolt against the melancholia that can result. In Still Life, Papaioannou shines the light of this continental philosophy on the lives of his audience.
This is one of 15 next-level events to see at Sydney Festival. Check out the whole list.