Sherman Cymru, Cardiff

Tues 15 May

words: BECKY PARKER

★★★★☆

Despite seeing posters all over Cardiff and hearing very good things about this production, I still had absolutely no idea what to expect. Going in with a slightly cynical attitude, after seeing too many failed attempts at interpretive and contemporary dance, I was completely blown away, left eating my mental words and wondering how the heck I could do it justice in such a short review.

Upon walking into the theatre, I was slightly bemused to find the audience overwhelmed with dry ice, so much so that walking to my seat felt like walking through a sea mist. Then, without any warning, the lights went out. Not just down, but fully out, and I felt entirely alone as these strange bodies threw themselves around in ways that shouldn’t be possible, and I found myself totally engaged.

The whole performance from start to finish was absolutely electrifying. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I was completely petrified and utterly invigorated. The disturbing, animal-like movements of the performers and the expressions of horror and rapture on their faces gave me goosebumps that didn’t fade until the curtain went down.

The Hofesh Shechter Company have managed to achieve something really quite remarkable in this piece of theatre. There was something about the unrelenting music and the fascinating repulsiveness of the figures in front of us that left me somewhat hypnotised.

This performance was not for the light-hearted. It was uncomfortable, it was challenging and it was really quite frightening. Despite this, when I got up to leave at the end I realised I had cramp in both legs, because I had genuinely not moved a muscle throughout. It was an absolutely exhausting performance, for those onstage and the audience, and one of the most thrilling portrayals of the politics of power that I have ever seen.