Theatre / ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen), written by Nassim Soleimanpour. At The Playhouse, until July 26. Reviewed by SAMARA PURNELL.

A large metal desk, a laptop, a box seat and a bottle of water sit on the stage, as well as side-lights and a tripod. Translucent screens, like up-turned trampolines, have been erected – one large, one small.

There is a screen behind the desk and it dawns on the settling audience that it is projecting live stream footage of patrons walking up the stairs and into the theatre, causing retrospective self-consciousness for many, no doubt.

The evening had promised a night where no-one, including the actor, knew quite how it would unfold, with a script that had not been seen before the show. A different, solo actor would take the stage for each performance (the others will be Paula Arundell, Nathalie Morris and Benjamin Law). There was a slightly nervous anticipation on the audience’s own behalf and on that of the actor.

Lebanese-born Australian actor Fayssal Bazzi takes the stage and is spoken to by a pre-recorded voice-over. The expectation is that he will be given some direction, instruction and at some stage be led to a script. But the evening takes some unexpected and surprising turns.

Viewers observe what appears to be a live connection to the Iranian writer of the show, Nassim Soleimanpour, who has called in from his modest house in Berlin.

Soleimanpour speaks of the importance of his Persian rug and its importance in Iranian tradition and it is shown to be on the stage where Bazzi is standing. The similarities between writer and actor, room and stage, become evident and the title of the work – ECHO – begins to make sense. Or does it? Perhaps it is the more blatant reference that appears shortly after.

Bazzi is then instructed to read from the laptop. The video call goes black and the actor is now in front of a projected replica of the writer’s room.

What follows is a tapestry of stories, coincidences, shifting timelines and poetic reflections.

Every method and metaphor imaginable is explored by Soleimanpour in this work – from livestreams, video calls and voice overs to real-time interactions and film sequences reminiscent of the iconic “one take” of the film Birdman, starring Michael Keaton.

A film sequence of space, galactic activity and autumn leaves blowing across the screens accompanied by loud music was unnecessarily melodramatic and some of Bazzi’s words were lost. Segments of the show suggested some monologues were not entirely unknown to the actor.

ECHO plays with ideas of space, time, culture, tradition, love, belonging and parallel lives using metaphors of seasons, growth, duality and migration.

Soleimanpour has thrown the kitchen sink at this production to present an interesting and thought-provoking theatre experience. Bordering indulgent, he takes the audience down unexpected paths as viewers begin to question what is unfolding and how. What is real, what is a story? Whose timeline are we on and where?

Soleimanpour appeared to have an affinity with Bazzi, given their backgrounds from war-torn countries, migration to foreign countries, similar age, etcetera. This as well as the very nature of the production sparked a particular curiosity to see the show again, with another actor, for comparison’s sake. But that would run the risk of “ruining” some of the mystique or, almost as unfortunate, answering some of the questions that came up.

ECHO is an ephemeral work, about lasting impressions, with history, beauty, twists and turns along the way.