Review: WOLVES ARE PEOPLE TOO, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome

Wolves Are People Too is an exciting new collaboration between the jazz group Hansu-Tori, Birmingham Royal Ballet choreographer Kit Holder and artist-illustrator Trou. Based on the 2012 cult anime film Wolf Children, the production follows two part human, part wolf children as they mature into society.

The multi-disciplinary approach to this work suggests an exciting dialogue between the three elements of dance, jazz music and illustration, especially as the creatives behind the project have been developing their work together from the outset. However, for the majority of the performance, each element feels quite disparate. The jazz music features the characteristic changes in chord sequence and improvisational elements typical of the genre, making it hard to establish a strong relationship between the music and the choreography. Trou's fantastic illustrations are projected onto the back wall, as the artist himself draws in real time, reflecting but not actually interacting with the action on stage.

Wolves Are People Too is at its most dynamic and innovative during the moments when these three creative approaches interact in a more cohesive way. When artist Trou becomes part of the performance, drawing on a blackboard as the wolf children's teacher, or when Hansu-Tori's music develops a more established structure with beautiful, allegorical lyrics (performed by Eliza Shaddad), three different worlds collide to create a new, multi-faceted genre.

Kit Holder's choreography is a seamless mix of classic ballet, contemporary and characterful movements reflecting the wolfish nature of his characters. In the first half, the choreography has structure and precision, creating picture perfect moments which, if frozen in time, could be scenes from the anime film which inspired Wolves Are People Too. Holder's movement changes with the second half, reflecting the changing personalities of the two wolf children to become much more wild, free and joyful.

The cast of five Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers give confident, assured performances, demonstrating the excellent musicality needed to work with the tricky, improvised jazz. Ruth Brill gives a touching performance as the grieving mother, especially during an astonishing solo which breathes life into the jacket of wolf children's late father. Lewis Turner is also particularly impressive as Ame, fully embracing the dynamic physicality of Holder's choreographer and conveying his decision to embrace the wolfish side of his nature with real feeling and clarity.

A beautiful duet between Max Maslen and Laura Day is the highlight of the performance. Both dancers have a light, lyrical style,which embues soaring lifts and giddy-ing spins with the overwhelming joy of young love. Day in particular is a wonderful actor, and creates an instant connection with the audience by drawing us in with swift searching glances.

Although Wolves Are People Too does not quite deliver on its innovative proposition to combine the three elements of live jazz, illustration and ballet, it certainly does create a showcase for the five talented dancers, and also produces some moments of unique theatrical brilliance which could perhaps benefit from being explored more fully in the future.

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