Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus review: Gossip

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Lenka Vagnerová is one of the Czech Republic's brightest dance stars, known for blurring the border between choreography and theatre, and always thinking outside of the box.

Zoo Southside (Venue 82)

***

Her latest production, Gossip, continues in this vein, setting the action at a decadent birthday party where champagne flutes and fake laughter cover up the rotten inner-workings of the friendships at play.

There are moments when the action feels left-field almost for the sake of it, not to make any great point. But these are outweighed by inspired and surprising theatrical devices that catch you unawares and make their mark (giving them away here would spoil the fun).

When theatre hands over to dance, the choreography is fast and tough, with dancers gliding across the floor on their backs and jumping on each other in a maelstrom of movement. And then, in amongst the hedonism, the two-faced superficiality and the unidentifiably bizarre, comes a scene of true emotional integrity. A couple stands side-by-side, while the party host details all that is wrong with their relationship, highlighting how two people can view the same situation so very differently.

It’s not for everyone, but if you like your dance served with a side order of the theatrically weird and wonderful, Vagnerová has something for you.

Until 15 August. Today 8:30pm.