Produced by Performing Lines 2003 – 2007
The Lab is an inventive and theatrical music performance by Graeme Leak and Linsey Pollak.
Set in a laboratory, two scientists share their exciting and hugely entertaining musical discoveries. Associate Professors of Fun, Leak and Pollak, take the audience on an aural adventure, an adventure obsessed with sounds that emanate from objects in their laboratory. Water, fire, test tubes, pipettes, beakers, flasks, pipes and tubes,…these all sing, ring, ping and swing.
A giant bowl of water provides the centre to their aural universe around which they orbit while constantly surprising the audience with the sounds they extract as they create entrancing music.
The two scientists construct their instruments before us – blowing air under bowls to tune them, filling test tubes to tune glass panpipes and using water, fire and glass to create a symphony of sound. Rather than losing its mystery, seeing the process of making, tuning and tweaking these ad hoc, found instruments enhances the magic.
It is an aural world of depth, energy and beauty. Although the materials are disconcertingly simple, the music itself is complex, rich and emotive.
Reviewer comments on The Lab:
“…the masterful piece by Leak and Pollak called The Lab. Posing as scientists they constructed the instruments before us-blowing air under the wooden bowls to tune them, and accurately filling test-tubes to create a well tuned glass panpipe. Rather than losing its mystery, seeing the process of tuning and tweaking these ad hoc instruments enhanced the
magic and appreciation of the Leak and Pollak artistry.” Real Time
“…it was so great and original and musical and funky and funny and soulful that I was really blown away ………a spectacular act” Sally Ford