An Index of Metals review – a soprano and six naked men fall flat

Carriageworks, Sydney
This theatrical staging of Fausto Romitelli’s swansong is so earnest in its quest for profundity that its emotions seem overwrought, even silly

For most of An Index of Metals, soprano Jane Sheldon is surrounded by a swarm of six naked men. With chiselled pale bodies lit by glaring lights or cast into dark foreboding silhouettes, they stalk around her, encircling and encompassing her, lifting her up and putting her down as if she is made of putty.

Related: Watch extracts from the Scottish Ensemble and Andersson Dance's Goldberg Variations