Dirty Decadence 

• Donald Hutera
• 4 August 2014

This article is from 2014.

Overheated Edinburgh Festival Fringe dance-drama about filthy rich young adults

The cast of director-choreographer Benjamin Seward’s modern ballet manage to suggest some of the hormonal drive of posh young things who abuse their privileged status by indulging in any and every whim. Mainly that means booze and sex – a few of the sketchy characters they embody being confused, or certainly conflicted, in the latter department.

Set to a generic-sounding recorded score of re-mixed classical music, it all adds up to a sordid, ultimately teeth-gnashing and, in truth, not especially edifying little melodrama of flirtation and fornication, mockery and scorn, rejection and revenge. Still, the six (seven, if you count an ironic walk-on at the end) members of the University of Exeter’s company Theatre With Teeth give it the old college try.

Much to their credit, none wear the emotionless mask dancers often adopt. But then how could they? You’d have to be committed and expressive for such overheated material as they’re dealing with here to work at all. There are occasional neat passages of movement but clunky bits, too, as these dancing actors negotiate the tension between awkwardness and grace. And stage the size of a postage stamp somewhat cramps their style.

C nova, 0845 260 1234, until 22 Aug, 12pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50).