Sadler’s Wells, London
April 23, 2017
Maggie Foyer
Requiem for Aleppo is a poetic title for a brutal reality. Created by composer David Cazalet, and choreographer, Jason Mabana, the premiere was a fund raiser for Syria Relief and Techfugees. The UN statistics are chilling with Syria designated ‘the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our times’. Like many, Cazalet felt anguished at the nightly news and channelled his frustration into composing the Requiem which resulted in a sold-out evening of enthusiastic support.
Refugees may not be popular with voters but their plight has gripped artistic imagination. It is easy to become cynical but the individual testimonies from Syrians and the heartfelt performances from the dozen young dancers carried the evening. Mabana, a relative newcomer on the choreographic scene, expressed the endless migration through a single dancer running interminably in a shaft of light, replaced by another at intervals, but going nowhere. Dressed in drab clothing under a canopy of hanging cloths and with minimal lighting, the ensemble remained on stage for most of the 90 minutes.
Photo Helen Maybank
This is the work of a young choreographer, full of invention but not quite matching up to the enormity of the situation. Along the way there were intimate moments in the duets and clever ideas like the skirts used creatively to make a stage full of whirling dervishes. There were powerful solos from individuals but it is a long work and when the moment came to reach catharsis it didn’t happen. But maybe that is just what the war is like?
The voices from Aleppo were potent and provided focus. ‘How did the world let this happen? We thought someone would come to rescue us.’ It was also an evening of remembrances with BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson on hand to talk about the Aleppo he loved. The war continues but nights like this ensure that the victims are not forgotten.