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Can dance shed a light on the plight of refugees? Choreographers are certainly giving it a try. In the past few years, we’ve seen Crystal Pite delving into Europe’s migrant crisis in Flight Pattern, Akram Khan detailing the lives of exploited factory workers in Giselle and Sharon Eyal imagining two aristocratic sisters lost at sea in Aisha and Abhaya.
But a hip-hop-meets-contemporary West End dance extravaganza, created by the choreographer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, inspired by and performed to the music of Sting? Nope, no one’s tackled the subject quite like this.
If it sounds a bit mad, well, it isn’t. Kate Prince is no stranger to an eccentric mash- up — look no further than previous hits Into The Hoods, a Sondheim musical set on a housing estate, and Some Like It Hip Hop, a wry take on Billy Wilder and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — and she approaches this new show with characteristic clarity and intelligence. Each arc in this tale — the story of three siblings forced to flee a war — takes its cue from Sting’s music, a mix of original recorded tracks and special rearrangements, mostly sung by the man himself and played over the soundsystem at volume.
All the big songs are here, danced with an infectious energy and knock-out style across the board. Field of Gold becomes a happy family portrait, The Shape of My Heart a poignant duet between new lovers Tommy Franzen and Samuel Baxter. And though there are moments that seem about to touch real darkness — Roxanne sees one of the brothers hunt for his trafficked wife; Every Breath You Take becomes the backing track to a detainment centre — Prince always pulls back before things get too heavy.
Yes, this is a tale of displacement, loss, conflict, but one of human resilience too. But mainly? It’s just a lot of popping, locking fun.
Until 21 March, Peacock Theatre (020 7863 8000; sadlerswells.com)
