Jeremy Welch reviews Angel Monster at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
This dance production from Australian Troupe Phluxux2 Dance Collection is sold with the theme of equality, ownership and respect. It’s more complex than those three words.
The five female members of the troupe start by welcoming the audience in an obsequious and servile manner ushering the audience to their seats.
The show continues in a bewildering way with the dancers casting clothes across the stage. These clothes become the only props in the production and are most effectively used.
The dancers then start the dance routine which varies from co-ordinated classic ballet to banshee-like individual performances.
For the first 15 minutes I was clueless as to what was happening, why it was happening and what it all meant. By the end of the performance it was very clear what the the theme of the production was about.
It was about womanhood, sexuality and body awareness and consent. The themes are intertwined but at the same time explored separately.
There are some very clever haunting and uncomfortable scenes to illustrate consent or lack of consent. Not to shock but to illustrate. It’s very well done although at times a little unsettling.
What I do know is that it is a mark of good art, and in this instance dance, that can take an audience member like myself from a position of bewildered confusion to fully understand the message of the production. No mean feat in 75 minutes.
For those of conservative dance taste this is not perhaps for you. For the curious, those that wish to be exposed to powerful innovative cutting edge contemporary dance I would recommend Angel Monster.
For the more conservative dance inclined, do give it a go, it’s powerful if sometimes uncomfortable viewing.
It’s certainly an education in the ability of dancers to deliver a powerful message.
4 STARS
Angel Monster is on at Assemble Checkpoint from August 8-13, 15, 17-20, 22-27
Tickets can be bought HERE.
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