Jonathan Burrows and Matteo Fargion don't mess around and their current collaboration delivers almost exactly what its title promises. For nearly 45 minutes the two men are seated side by side, in silence, dancing only with their hands and faces.
Both Sitting Duet may sound like a minimalist jihad, a war waged on theatrical excess, yet within its self-imposed limits an extraordinarily rich and absorbing dialogue emerges. Both men are in their 40s and a lot of their material is rooted in the gestures and mannerisms of grumpy old men. Their hands dance warning signs and flap with exasperation, whole themes and variations are developed from the absent-minded cleaning of fingernails or the rubbing of sweat off brows. There are strenuous work riffs of shoving, pulling and a small section that makes a nod to their respective professions - classical port de bras from choreographer Burrows and measured claps from composer Fargion.
The immense charm of the duet is that it's partly like watching two guys in the pub - Burrows pale, a little agitated, Fargion mellow and keeping his council with a secretive smile. But it's also like watching a silent music masterclass as the two men play brilliantly with the dynamics, speed and counterpoint of their hand jives. At times they refer to notated scores at their feet and it's difficult to guess how much free play is allowed, but the combination of compositional rigour and surprise makes their tiny performing arena scintillate with energy.
Towards the end of the duet, though, there are small but disconcerting deviations from the rules. The performers open their mouths - adding vocal accompaniment to their moves - and they stand up and let their feet take over the rhythm. Maybe they were afraid of boring us but these additions break the spell. Not only is the duet's silent intimacy lost but its previous imitations suddenly look arbitrary. By giving us more we're made to feel dissatisfied with what we had.
· In rep until November 26. Box office: 020-7304 4000.
