Omphalos @ Invisible Wind Factory

The Invisible Wind Factory is in itself a work of art; a grand and solid building that once churned out the huge metal shafts that make up the wind turbines along the Mersey coastline. Lined with a patchwork of grubby windows that eke out a stream of grey light into what was once the workshop area, it’s a joy to see the building revitalised by some of the city’s brightest young minds.

Drawing on bleak and avant-garde representations of art-deco, the real star of the show’s opening section is the curious creation of the design team: a kaleidoscope of wacky junkyard contraptions cleverly woven into the imaginative back-story. The main spectacle of Omphalos is just that: a dizzying and, at times, visceral assault on the senses that leaves a stunned audience in a state of complete bewilderment. As with many of the old Kazimier productions there are strong pagan ritualistic overtones, and the message seemed to be this: we are all vessels for creativity and, without us, buildings such as these are simply empty shells.

As a cohesive whole, the show – if it’s to tour the country as intended – still has some creases to be ironed out. While the design, direction and performance are high in quality, there are sections of Omphalos that drag. With a refinement of the audio composition and a little more attention to creating a clear narrative to the main performance, there’s no doubt that the show could be elevated to something that could be a jaw-drop-inducing smash.

It remains to be seen whether Omphalos will succeed in producing Energy Eternal enough to transport the show to the next level, but based on the ingenuity and creative spirit demonstrated so far, we wait with baited breath for what comes next from this remarkable collective.