Laban Theatre, London
April 20, 2017
Maggie Foyer
Rosie Kay, after her phenomenal success with 5 Soldiers, takes us to the shadowy world of conspiracy theories. An effective and informative audio visual display, projected on an emblematic triangle draws us deeper into the mire. Television journalist, Adam Curtis, has done a grand job in enlightening us on the balance between trust and truth in our modern world of ‘fake news’.
Translating this into movement has proved the greater challenge and in the first half the seven dancers struggle to draw our attention away from the projection shown behind. The theory that the ‘illuminati’, an elite gang who manipulate the media and the entertainment industry, could dictate the lives and careers of pop stars appears to have found a niche market in an adolescent world grappling for a belief system. It is definitely an area of interest and worthy of investigation, despite the craziness of the hypothesis, but the choreography is less engaging. The dance stays mostly middle-of-the-road pop, a touch of cautious gymnastics and random forays into interesting ensemble work.
Photo Brian Slater
However, the second half relocates into more stimulating territory. Clips of Hollywood and Disney films alternating with symbols of the dark arts, offer full-on popular appeal. Dorothy clicking the heels of her red slippers doesn’t take us back to Kansas City but we get The Yellow Brick Road and Alice falling down the rabbit hole as the energy surges and the dancers take centre stage. João Maio preened in a pastiche of vogue dance and Shelley Eva Haden gave a spectacular performance as a blonde bombshell before falling splayed across the only stage prop: an elaborate period chair which had been hovering on stage for the whole performance waiting for its chance to shine.
Whether the illuminati had anything to do with the rush of feel-good factor which permeated the closing moments or whether it was simply the combination of pulsating dance and the iconic song ‘When You Wish upon a Star’, who knows. Kay certainly lifts the show to a powerful climax. MK ULTRA is at times an awkward mix of dance and text but on balance, it seems to carry the stamp of success.
MK ULTRA continues on tour. For dates and venues, visit www.mkultra.dance.