Changeling: The Before and The After Review By Scarlett Potter

How do we reconcile with our past? How do we understand everything we are yet to become? Can something live forever? These are the courses that Axel Starviking charts in Changeling: The Before and After. Adorned in sequins shimmering like starlight, Starviking drips with an ethereal otherness that drags you into a world of crystalline techno majesty.

Axel’s musical talent is undoubtedly the highlight of the show and shines most notably in his ability to craft vocal soundscapes with unique precision. For those who have ever undergone transition or vocal surgery, the effects of losing one’s voice is all too known. Of course there is the physical strain of relearning control and strength but for vocal coach Axel Starviking, this also meant losing a key part of his identity, livelihood and creative practice.

Facing down this voyage he crafts the ‘Before’ and the ‘After’. Two figures shaping one body. Accompanied by recordings made throughout his transition, Axel’s performance is a way of capturing his shifting identity and knitting the self back together “with time and tenderness”.

Aboard his Starship, Axel bares his soul in part cabaret and spoken poetry, leading us through a journey of trans discovery. But, perhaps this rocketship needs some more tinkering as despite the genuine love that oozes from the stage, the show struggles to soar outside of its musical performances.

Axel’s song craftsmanship, whilst vocally stunning, finds itself often at odds with its musical accompaniment. Some songs utilise a techno beat that, while not helped by the limited sound system, carry a lack of depth which undermines the vocal talent on display. They lie in stark contrast to sweeping soundscapes that colour some truly moving arrangements spanning folk, classical and experimental varieties. This contrast between style could, in another world, work as an interesting bridging of genres. But here, the pop-centric production lacked the quality needed to make this contrast feel warranted or wanted.

‘Changeling’ works best when the voice is the star of the show. The third song of the show ‘Lifted Curse’ shines with this knowledge showcasing Axel’s impressive vocal ability with both ‘Before’ and ‘After’ reaching glorious vocal heights with impressive control. Starviking incorporates a form of ‘kulning’ – a style of Nordic herding song traditionally used to call cows in from the fields. Here, without a strong backing beat to distract us, the music becomes an otherworldly echoing call to Axel’s past and future selves. Knitting the two together within the song’s swirling crescendo.

In ‘Light on the Water’ Axel is accompanied only by the chattering of birds and the bubbling of a brook. The soundscape evokes a profound lightness, perfectly allowing the choir of one to weave his magic. The experience is transcendent. The song invites the audience to picture themselves on the shore of a cosmic lake somewhere out in the far universe in the first true moment of audio immersion since the performance began.

Between the musical numbers, the show struggles somewhat to find its landing. Perhaps a result of Starviking’s confinement to both a stationary microphone and a distractingly present prompt script, the show loses steam over its runtime. After each song we are greeted by an interlude from ‘Before’ who speaks to Axel with the tone of a gentle carer, calling for some moving points of reflection. However, consistently they are interrupted by the raucously suggestive Starcraft autopilot. Although providing some genuine hilarity and improvisational opportunities for our captain to play with, the repetitive, formulaic progression of Song – Before – Starcraft starts to tarnish the dazzling Starviking.

The show ultimately lacks a solid understanding of what it wants its form to be. No joke is present enough for a full comedic routine. The space is not explored enough for a visually vibrant stage show, and the meditations on music and self are consistently interrupted before the audience can join in guided reflection. Starviking’s vocal performance and glorious costuming are so spellbinding that these weaker points in the performance seem all the more stark.

It should be noted here that Sydney Fringe is the first time that this show has taken to the stage. What Changeling is able to achieve with little budget and on a first showing is nothing to be disappointed by. The writing, although not without its flaws, captures a genuine authenticity that cannot be taught. The limited exploration of the space and difficulties with marrying live performance with timed pre-recordings are problems requiring a confidence in the text that will only build with future performances. Ultimately, the show may still be in its infancy, but Starviking’s willingness to blend his most vulnerable bits with moments of lightness and raw creativity shows that this shimmering galaxy holds boundless potential.

This is a performance that, with a little more iteration, performance experience and set development will most definitely soar to great heights. What it does beautifully in musical performance and costuming is undermined by a lack of immersion. Like a space probe casting grainy images back to earth, there are glimpses of something spectacular, but the image currently lacks clarity. Changeling explores trans joy, grief, change and wonder through a truly lovely lens. There is a tenderness offered to the ‘Before’ not often given so freely and with so much maturity. There is glorious self expression and a shameless celebration of camp. Sure, the show may need some more time on Earth before we see it take off, but Changeling’s first mission remains a success.

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Scarlett Potter attended Changeling: The Before and The After at QTOPIA on Thursday 10 September.