Review: CREATURE BY AKRAM KHAN, Sadler's Wells

English National Ballet bring their production of Creature, directed and choreographed by Akram Khan, back to Sadler's Wells following a run in 2021.

It proves to be a challenging and intriguing piece of dance theatre, inspired mainly by Georg Buchner's unfinished play, Woyzeck, with a touch of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

The Creature of the title (Jeffrey Cirio) is the subject of a scientific experiment (based in the Arctic in a research station, although the use of Richard Nixon's phone call to the Moon Landing astronauts suggests something more ethereal).

He is the outsider, deprived of love, warmth, and even, it seems, any sense of how to work as a human. He is depicted as a twisted mass of muscle and sinew, with aggressive stances and steps. Only his keeper, Maria (Erina Takahashi, who has beautiful poise), awakes a sensitivity and softness in his life.

As the ensemble stomp in army drill, and the Major (Fabian Reimar) dominates proceedings, you must follow the action happening at the far sides of the stage, or at the back, giving a disorienting effect enhanced by snatches of sotto voce statements (voiced by Andy Serkis).

Creature has moments of high energy, and has much to say on experimentation and torture, but doesn't quite make the connection we need to feel involved and engaged with the story. The choreography is sometimes repetitive, sometimes innovative, but seems more of the former.

The set (by Tim Yip, lit by Michael Hulls) is a claustrophobic one of logs which occasionally let in slivers of light, but more often underline the oppression endured by those kept isolated and imprisoned. Aside from Maria, Creature's only friend appears to be Andres (Victor Prigent) with whom he washes, parlays, and play fights.

Later in proceedings, the mood turns more savage, with a final reveal echoing the broken spirit and failed experimentation of what we have seen before. There is little to call beautiful in Vincenzo Lamagna's discordant music and overbearing sound design, orchestrated by James Keane and conducted by Daniel Parkinson.

Creature is still a fascinating experiment, but one which requires a familiarity with both pieces of source material and a constant attention to what is going on in the story. This may ultimately isolate the audience from full enjoyment.

Creature is at Sadler's Wells until 1 April.

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