To start off 2024, we attended the premiere of Message in a Bottle, a Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK production, choreographed and directed by Kate Prince. The show tells us the story of a family pushed out of its homeland by the horrors of war and forced to migrate across the sea towards safety. To the sound of dozens of Sting’s greatest hits, the company combines the passion and intensity of its choreography with well known songs, leaving no one indifferent.
The gold: The married sibling storyline. Much of the narrative is presented through the perspective of three siblings and, while all three have a unique and interesting story, there is one that particularly stands out. The events befalling him and his wife would be enough to consider this arc noteworthy, but it is the musical and performative execution that ultimately wins our gold. The first songs of the play beautifully cement their relationship, and it is through them that we understand the peaceful lifestyle of this family’s community. Our favourites, however, were the renditions of The Bed’s Too Big Without You and Roxanne. The visual elements added to the performance further enhanced the depth of the situation, making these two scenes absolutely remarkable.
The silver: The combination of styles. Even to someone with limited knowledge of the world of dance, it was fairly obvious that there were different styles at play. The way they were combined resulted in a beautiful mosaic that added layers of meaning to an already complex narrative.
Where it could have been improved: The focus. This was a story about forced migration, about leaving your home due to terrible circumstances. The events that destroy this peaceful community take place over a pair of songs, where we are briefly faced with the tragedy of battle and the horrors of rape. Shortly after, however, the show seemed to dedicate significantly more time to the oppressive imprisonment at the border, the corrupt behaviour of guards and violent discrimination. One would think that the life left behind and the actual horrific catalyst of this narrative would merit a bit more attention, but apparently one would be wrong.
As usual, our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.
To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com
Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks
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