Internationally acclaimed Back to Back Theatre presents small metal objects – the sell-out smash hit of the 2005 Melbourne International Arts Festival – in a national Mobile States tour.

small metal objects is a subtly comic fable of two ‘invisible’ men and their accidental role in the downfall of a business awards night. Staged in a public place with passers-by as unwitting extras, small metal objects is a spectacle of the ordinary. Among the unsuspecting pedestrians are Steve and Gary, a quiet, lonely pair on the fringe of society.

The seated audience listens via headphones to the characters’ intimate conversation and composed score set against the constantly moving pedestrian landscape. Gradually the audience identify the performers to whose conversation they have exclusive access.

small metal objects examines respect, identity and invisibility, in an age when our value is calculated by our productivity. Part voyeuristic meditation, part urban thriller, the effect for the audience is an unforgettable cross between documentary film and theatre.

Back to Back Theatre creates highly idiosyncratic work driven by an ensemble of actors perceived to have intellectual disabilities. Their view of the world is unconstrained by ‘convention’ or the imperative to be ‘normal’.