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NEXT GENERATION

★★★★

Sadler’s Wells East

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NEXT GENERATION

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★

“The dancers show their beauty and abundance of talent throughout”

One of the thrilling experiences in theatre and performance is to see the stars of tomorrow start to emerge. Not yet fully formed, but with many of the jigsaw pieces in place. Who, might you guess, will rise to the heights and who fall by the wayside?

We can imagine the excitement of the ballet world when a boy, turning 18, the 11th child of an impoverished working class family in Havana won the gold medal at the Prix de Lausanne – before climbing to the peak of international ballet. Now, for the next three nights at Sadlers Wells East, we get to see how Carlos Acosta – now founder of the Cuban Dance Academy and Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet – is paving the way for others like him. Ten extraordinary young graduates from Acosta’s junior academy are performing four pieces in a programme that is vibrant, full of energy and poignancy, and that draws heavily on Cuba’s cultural heritage.

Acosta Danza Yunior is only three years old, designed to be a bridge for 18-21 year olds between the Academy and Acosta Danza. So what we have here is technical skill and youthful energy in its first flowering. Every one of the dancers casts on stage the shadow of their devotion to dance and the discipline of their training. We also have lovely pieces by artistic creators connected to Acosta and Cuba: Susana Pous, Didy Veldman and Juliano Nunes.

The first piece, in two parts, is a fluid and tragic exposition of migration. Eight dancers come together in bounded space – an interpretation of island – flow as if a single structure and then break up as individuals silently depart and those that remain briefly mourn. Lighting streams from the side and an overhanging sun/moon light up the otherwise dark scene. One note on the programme – it lists one piece for the first half of the evening but it unfolds as two parts — it seems to be a work sitting somewhere between a single vision and two distinct pieces.

In the second half, two dancers open with Kit Holder’s Capriccio, inspired by René Magritte’s ‘The Lovers’. It is a physical and evocative exploration of connectedness and separation. For the final piece the eight dancers of the first half return in a journey the programme describes as ‘from general sentiment to spiritual essence’. It appears to echo some of the ideas of the first half of the show, but is subtle in its emotion and enhanced by a fragile art installation by Glenda Leon of water lily flowers moving and hanging overhead.

The dancers show their beauty and abundance of talent throughout. Not yet in their prime, some emotional depth has yet to be developed in their performance. This will no doubt come as they move forward, and extraordinary connection replaces what seems a degree of reticence in feelings. Overall, this is a rare opportunity to see what may be to come for international dance and where Carlos Acosta may still be achieving his best.



NEXT GENERATION

Sadler’s Wells East

Reviewed on 17th June 2026

by Louise Sibley

Photography by Jayne Jackson


 

 

 

 

NEXT GENERATION

NEXT GENERATION

NEXT GENERATION

MRS DALLOWAY

★★★★

UK Tour

Reviews, , , , , , , , , , ,

MRS DALLOWAY

Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★★

“Cleverly constructed, this show certainly makes us think”

Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs Dalloway” is best known for its ‘stream-of-consciousness’ narrative, breaking away from the conventional style of popular literature at the time it was published in 1925. A risk perhaps, but one that Woolf pulled off successfully. A century later, it could be conceived as a bit of a risk to adapt it for the stage, but Kit Green – the co-writer and performer – pulls it off equally well. Along with writer and director Jen Heyes, the pair have devised what they call ‘cine-theatre’ to explore the many themes and characters of the novel. A mix of film and live performance, it also dips into cabaret, breaking the fourth wall with an over-generous amount of audience interaction. Slightly irreverent, the mix of style and media could be a mess. Kit Green, however, has the charisma and presence to clearly guide us through the essentially plotless action, as she wafts about the stage, dipping into the many characters that populate the day-in-the-life novel.

Clarissa Dalloway is getting ready for her party. An upper-class Londoner, she has the time and luxury to indulge in her own thoughts, which fluctuate mainly between disillusion, depression and delight. Predominantly the first two, it could all become a bit maudlin, but Green frequently breaks away into her own character, adding a further element of stand-up to the evening’s entertainment. Green’s is a natural performance, putting us at ease before ‘plunging us into the heart of the moment’, as she enigmatically and teasingly repeats. Once in that ‘heart’, she effortlessly adopts the various characters: the self-conscious Clarissa Dalloway; her world-weary, unimpressed maid; the disconnected Mr Dalloway; the enigmatic Peter Walsh who Clarissa regrettably let slip away in her youth; her old friend Sally with whom she shared a furtive kiss; the ill-fated war veteran Septimius Smith; and many others.

The timing is impeccable, made more impressive during Green’s dialogue with the characters projected onto a giant screen (all played by herself too). Monika Koeck’s video design dominates the back wall, providing setting and atmosphere as well as the supporting cast. At one moment we are in the thick of the party, another moment we are immersed deep into the traumatised mind of Septimius Smith. The conversations between screen and stage are deftly executed, often difficult to differentiate the live from the pre-recorded. Stephen Hull’s compositions and stirring sound design, along with Phil Saunders’ evocative lighting complement the narrative to produce multi-layered moments of magic.

Less successful are the attempts at bringing audience members into the story. An invitation to play party games is an unnecessary interruption to the flow of the show. And an eighties style disco number jars with its incongruity. A grand piano sits downstage, sadly underused. Green is a proficient pianist and songwriter, and we would like to see her at the keyboard more often.

The writing, despite Green’s anachronistic ad-libbing, is faithful to Woolf’s original, yet comes across as strikingly contemporary. Green’s own reflections cleverly emphasize Woolf’s enduring relevance, paradoxically asking the audience at one point if there was anything to relate to in the text. After all, the story is a hundred years old – written six years after a pandemic, during a time of social change and economic crisis, with five prime ministers in the space of as many years. “I mean” she quips “what can there possibly be to relate to today?”

“Mrs Dalloway” brilliantly places Woolf’s story in the modern day while managing to retain the sense of period. They never clash, and with the mix of comedy, music, video, dialogue and recital we are drawn into the minds of characters that Green makes very real. Funny and tender, occasionally traumatic, but tinged with hope. Cleverly constructed, this show certainly makes us think. Without the budget of a West End, star-driven, solo show it is richer in heart and emotion. And, as a result, quite spectacular in its own intimate way.

 



MRS DALLOWAY

Wilton’s Music Hall then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 17th June 2026

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Andrew AB


 

 

 

 

MRS DALLOWAY

MRS DALLOWAY

MRS DALLOWAY