The Dancer and The Devil (Salford)

Venue: The Lowry
Where: Salford

Cornish company Rogue Theatre mesmerise those who see their production, The Dancer and the Devil, an exotic and erotic mix of dance, music, poetry, prose and circus skills. The story is written stylishly by Anna Maria Murphy, and delivered by Jacob (Ollie Oakenshield).

The plot follows refugees who flee from war only to find themselves in a forest, compelled to entertain the very soldiers from whom they  tried to escape. Julian Gaskell  and Lauren Vandike (who also sings the final cabaret song) perform the wild, continental-style music which accompanies the uninhibited abandonment of the dancers.

Meanwhile, Celeste (Gemma Kempthorne) is the dancer who most captures your heart, as she can twirl fans and suitcases with equal creativity. Her companion, Cupcakes (Becky Bordeaux), makes the audience laugh. She is also incredibly gutsy, as she is spun on a wheel which determines whether of not audience member, Jason, does or does not win a prize.
 
The show grips your soul.  It is a never-ending spectacle of showmanship – garish, glittering, imaginative, surprising and, at the end, devastating.

The Dancer and The Devil‘s haunting atmosphere and the disciplines which bring it together are, in my opinion, art personified. Wonderful!

– Julia Taylor