The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

DESH at Sadler’s Wells

DESH at Sadler’s Wells | Theatre review
13 June 2013
Alice Fitzgerald
Avatar
Alice Fitzgerald
13 June 2013

Akram Khan’s DESH is a mesmerising exploration of his parent’s birthplace, Bangladesh, and what the country means to him personally. Performing at the beautiful Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Khan’s one-man contemporary dance piece is simply breathtaking.

Khan’s show is a deeply personal one. Together with his production team, the choreographer spent some time in Bangladesh, researching the country and finding his connection to it. Khan, who was born in Britain, admits that he never really associated with his Bangladeshi heritage and instead always identified himself as English much to the disappointment of his father. It was only really during the development of this performance that he discovered the extraordinary lives of the Bangladeshi people. A country that is constantly under threat from flooding and cyclones, its residents regularly struggle with the sheer force of nature. This is highlighted in Khan’s performance: he explores his own internal conflict with his heritage and the external conflict that the whole of mankind faces, accepting the absolute power of nature while trying to survive it.

DESH uses a superb blend of sound, lighting and multimedia effects to enhance Khan’s performance without overpowering it. His hypnotic dancing is the main focus throughout: the choreography is fast, sharp and strong, with a sense of urgency, as though Khan is desperate to tell this story. The energy and emotion that he brings to the performance is captivating. His movement is so personal that it seems to flow from him naturally and yet is executed with exact precision.

Visual director Tim Yip and composer Jocelyn Pock have created a stunning world for Khan to perform in. The stark contrasts between light and dark, silence and noise, and fast and still moments create a dramatic and exciting atmosphere. Even the tone of the performance is juxtaposed: Khan flows from poignant and intense to funny and creative with perfect ease. While the piece is highly emotional, it is broken up by the perfect amount of humour and fun. 

This performance is exciting, thought-provoking and incredibly moving. Khan has created a truly exhilarating theatrical experience that is not to be missed.

★★★★★

Alice Fitzgerald

DESH is at Sadler’s Wells until 15th June 2013. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the official trailer for DESH here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

Live Lab at The Yard Theatre: An interview with associate director Cheryl Gallagher

Mersa Auda
Read More

We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More

We Ask These Questions of Everybody: An interview with Amble Skuse and Toria Banks

Mersa Auda
Read More

Public Domain at Southwark Playhouse

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Unlimited Festival at the Southbank Centre: Centre stage for diversity

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More

RSC Next Generation: Young Bloods proves Shakespeare is timeless

Brooke Snowe
Read More

An interview with Ifrah Ismael: Tales from the Front Line and other stories

Selina Begum
Read More

A Livestream with David Bedella at Crazy Coqs Online

★★★★★
Regan Harle
Read More

Undercover at Morpheus Show Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Female filmmakers lead nominees for the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards
    Cinema
  • Jeremiah Fraites – Piano Piano
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Persian Lessons
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Lonely the Brave – The Hope List
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Identifying Features
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • 23 Walks
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Live Lab at The Yard Theatre: An interview with associate director Cheryl Gallagher
    Theatre
  • We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • We Ask These Questions of Everybody: An interview with Amble Skuse and Toria Banks
    Theatre
  • Identifying Features
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • WandaVision: Marvel’s charming sitcom proves an astounding success
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Undercover at Morpheus Show Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

A Crisis of Brilliance at Dulwich Picture Gallery | Exhibition review
Laura Mvula at the Tia Maria Music Room | Live review