Is there ever a justification for suffering? Could it ever be reasonable to harm a child? Could our society ever be quietly complicit with an act of violence or torture? These are the confronting questions churning at the core of composer David Chisholm’s ambitious and highly esoteric production The Experiment. Described as a musical monodrama, this concert-cum-play attempts to draw on the 18th century theatrical tradition combining spoken word and music. However a battle of competing influences and some critical weaknesses in certain elements of this aptly titled experimental work of music theatre results in an impenetrable and sometimes cacophonous experience.

Infamous British playwright Mark Ravenhill’s gritty monologue of the same title forms the backbone of this production. It is a darkly ingenious essay on the ambiguity of memory, expressed through a story of Mengele-esque experiments on children. As a stand-alone piece of theatre it’s an extremely divisive work that uses a constantly shifting perspective to blur our understanding of the horrors of the central protagonist’s stream-of-consciousness confession.

Chilean contemporary guitar specialist Maurico Carrasco is the show’s sole performer, delivering Ravenhill’s text as well as occasionally playing. It’s a hugely demanding responsibility for a solitary performer to support an entire production...