Wilton’s Music Hall, London
July 24, 2023
Created by San Francisco-based CandyBomber, Fray was hyped pre-performance as being something entirely new, a fusion of several art forms in a creative innovation. So, it was with a slightly trepidatious feeling that I took my seat. It does not disappoint.
Fray opens with Fusion, the host and a poet, telling us how amazing the show is, and that it is the result of more than two years of collaboration with many people. The programme lists thirteen individuals and two companies. Unfortunately, and unnecessarily, he then went into pantomime mode, even to the point of splitting the audience in two halves and seeing which half could out-shout the other. But when the performance proper finally starts, it is a roller-coaster, multi-media, hip-hop dance-based experience like no other.
The choreography by Sisco Gomez is creative, purposeful, and strong, and while there is a little too much repetition of moves, this doesn’t distract from the power and inventiveness of the piece.
The story of two brothers left to their own devices who became trapped in hip hop dance gaming is an original twist on an old theme. It has a moral to tell but does not overdo it.
It is all realised by interspersing the dancing with drama and actual video gaming. In the next incarnation of Fray, it would be exciting to see the dancers and the video gaming merged much more.
The standard and skill of the dancers was outstanding. Everything was clean, sharp, and technically well executed. The three leads, Elijah Smith, Jamai Robinson, and Marie Spieldenner, made their roles come alive emotionally as well as physically, especially Smith.
Fray does not need topping and tailing by Fusion, which gives a slightly amateurish feel. It is hip hop dance theatre fully come into its own; capable of engaging anyone, including those not into the hip hop scene. Absolutely breath-taking. Be sure to catch it if it tours.