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

Them/Us at Vaudeville Theatre

Them/Us at Vaudeville Theatre | Dance review
4 June 2019
Jim Compton-Hall
Avatar
Jim Compton-Hall
4 June 2019

The Vaudeville Theatre plays host to two new dance shows, Them and Us, in this double bill from BalletBoyz’ West End debut. And they couldn’t be more different.

First up, Them. The piece is built on the interesting concept of democratically creating choreography with the dancers and directors all working together. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. Having many voices where there would usually be one has created a rather disjointed performance. Some of the movements are clever, some even impressive, but with no clear, singular vision, it gets old quick.

The costumes are another strange choice. The ensemble are all dressed in three-coloured tracksuits, as if they’re off to compete in the 1992 Olympics. But the real problem with a zipped-up tracksuit jacket is that the slightest lift of the shoulders and it rises up and bunches around the zip. So for a good part of the performance, each of the BalletBoyz sport a single, solitary pointy Madonna breast.

It’s clear from the first few seconds that these are very talented dancers. And incorporating a metal cube frame into the routine, the BalletBoyz make so much more of the stage, from the floor to six feet in the air. It just feels like this is an experimental fringe piece that hasn’t quite worked out.

Us, on the other hand, is brilliant. As the only choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon produces a coherent, elegant and electric piece about a relationship.

It’s a stunning and mesmerising display, perfectly complimenting Keaton Henson’s beautiful score. In fact, the music and dancing work so well together that it’s difficult to separate them. From rhythmic, beating group choreography to spark-igniting partner choreography, every moment adds to the perfect overall flow of the performance.

The troupe may show more range and individuality in the former routine but in the latter, the BalletBoyz really showcase their world-class talent, producing minuscule movements perfectly in time and impressively fluid jumps and spins. Hardcore dance enthusiasts may find something interesting in the experimental Them, but Us will most definitely excite.

★★★★★

Jim Compton-Hall
Photos: George Piper

Them/Us is at Vaudeville Theatre from 3rd June until 15th June 2019. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

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

Playing ON: An interview with Jim Pope on life-changing theatre

Georgia Howlett
Read More

Sunset Boulevard at Curve Theatre Online

★★★★★
Selina Begum
Read More

Hip Hop Cinderella

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Theatre in 2020: a recap (and an outlook for 2021)

Michael Higgs
Read More

A new world of theatre: Aimie Atkinson on groundbreaking theatre platform Thespie

Ezelle Alblas
Read More

Dick Whittington at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Jim Compton-Hall

Them/Us

★★★★★

Dates

3rd June - 15th June 2019

Price

£25-£65

Links & directions

TwitterFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Outside the Wire
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • You Me at Six – Suckapunch
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Queen’s Gambit: A chess story that’s not about the moves but the motives
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • An interview with Ifrah Ismael: Tales from the Front Line and other stories
    Theatre
  • Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Female filmmakers lead nominees for the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards
    Cinema
  • Persian Lessons: Exclusive new clip
    Cinema
  • Jeremiah Fraites: Piano Piano
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Quo Vadis, Aida?
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Lonely the Brave – The Hope List
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • 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
  • Ten short literary collections to get you back into reading
    Literature
  • Mayor
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
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

Bon Iver winds down All Points East Festival 2019 with a slick and psychedelic set | Live review
The Starry Messenger at Wyndham’s Theatre | Theatre review