Reviews Written by J

My first experience of Pina Bausch was through her 1975 rechoreographing of The Rite of Spring. I saw it performed by a company assembled from dancers across Africa at the Edinburgh International Festival and was captivated completely by its intensity. Premiering in 2006 Vollmond, one of her last works, is more restrained in its use of typical balletic beauty, with moments that cross the line more so into performance art as is characteristic for her later projects. By this point Bausch has cultivated a highly unique working methodology and has cemented herself as a daring choreographer of great influence. Described as a series of extended solos Vollmond is a two-hour epic that meanders throughout ideas and scenes, attempting to balance and juxtapose collaboration and independence, the ominous and the childlike, romance and humour. A 12 strong ensemble consisting of dancers from the Tanztheater Wuppertal company perform Vollmond, with t...

Annie Ernaux is an individual who needs little introduction. G enre-bending  a uthor of an extensive, critically-acclaimed oeuvre. Nobel Laureate in literature, 2022. Nothing encapsulates Ernaux's ability to construct such an intimate portrait of a life than her  2008   memoir  The Years . Adapted into a play by  Eline Arbo  for the Dutch audience, and subsequently  revised by  Stephanie Bain for London stages, The Years gained praise at the Almeda Theatre before now making its transfer to the Harold Pinter.  A dynamic cast of just five perform and narrate  the life of Annie, managing to  switch   effortlessly between roles.  The narratorial style, along with t he occasional fourth walk break,  allows for the prose of the book to be maintained, as well as create a kind of respectful distance between the story told by the women on stage and the "real" life of Ernaux - a charm that would be lost in an overly polished Ho...