ALL WAR IS DECEPTION

About the Show

In a production that intertwines choreography, philosophy and fantasy, All War is Deception takes the audience into the world of a child’s toy-box, where a dancing doll encounters a regiment of toy soldiers.

In this unforgettable show of firearms and flamenco, the tenderness and cruelty of love and war are brought to life through music, dancing and drama, as the depths of deception are defined.

Synopsis

All War is Deception begins with a conversation between a toy ballerina (Hazel Ocskó) and a toy soldier (Benedict Kazlauskas) on the shortfalls of the younger generation. Their conversation is cut short by the entrance of their owner (Kaska Zielinski), a 13 year old boy who has returned to his room to avoid another confrontation with his abusive step-father. The performance continues to oscillate between the present day reality of the boy, whose fate is to join the military, and that of the toys who have their own back-stories set in the 1940s.

The title of the production, All War is Deception, is taken from Sun Tzu’s seminal treatise of military tactics titled The Art of War, which was written over 2000 years ago. The ancient source of the title is apt as the cyclical and repetitive nature of human history is one of the main themes. The trans-generational impact of trauma and loss is explored as the action spans the Second World War to the present day.

The theme of deception carries through much of the dialogue, which explores how and why we choose to deceive each other and ourselves, through quick and witty exchanges that draw on philosophy as well as the personal narratives of the characters. The enduring psychological effects of trauma are also explored through the intimate conversations that take place between the ballerina and the three soldiers she encounters.

The play is punctuated with choreographed interludes of dancing, ranging from ballet to flamenco, set to a completely original score.

https://soundcloud.com/daniel-bowden/all-war-is-deception-pbs-radio