Review: OUR MIGHTY GROOVE, Sadler's Wells East

Entering the new Sadler's Wells East venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, there is a definite sense of something new, bright, and full of fire. This is the home (until 9 February) of Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu's Our Mighty Groove, its very title promising an experience to encompass both performers and audience.

It begins fairly traditionally, in assigned seats arranged in a steep rake facing the stage. The only clue to what might happen later - assuming you've missed the information on the website - is the stamp on the hand you receive as you enter. Later, that will glow under ultraviolet light to allow you entry into the 'Club Groove'. For now, you are audience and observer.

We meet a cast of characters as they enter the club. Event staff, influencers, celebrities, hangers-on. There are stories all around, little pockets of activity to a pulsing beat. In this reboot of an Uchenna classic, a young cast of East London performers bring a larger sense of scale and a local immediacy to Our Mighty Groove.

Now a 19-person ensemble piece, it includes long-term collaborators like Shanelle Clemenson (vogue diva Bougetta) alongside 12 young dancers who embrace the fusion of form and style on display. With Jodie-Simone Howe's costumes, Simon Kenny's expressive set design, and Matt Daw's lighting, the stage is set for everyone to let loose. Cache Thake, Shula Carter and Angelika Napierala, in particular, caught my eye from the professional team.

Igbokwe-Ozoagu, working closely with composer and music director Kweku Aacht, brings jazz, funk and disco rhythms together with afro-contemporary styles. It's deeply African but totally accessible, with the music developed with Ghana hiplife funk band FRA! and Nigerian-born producer and DJ Teck-Zilla, plus new tracks from FLAMIN BEATZ.

Our Mighty Groove is a pulsing, energetic, modern dance piece allowing the audience to mingle on the dance floor. The story is slight but the vibe is unmistakable. This production opens with a half-hour of powerhouse movement before becoming fully immersive. Look at me, it challenges, and you do. The 40-minute break to reconfigure the space is perhaps a little indulgent but worth it when you re-enter the auditorium, with over 500 eager bodies funnelled through the club entrance.

The resurrection of Our Mighty Groove opens exciting new venue, Sadler's Wells East, with a bang, and places it firmly on the modern dance map. It's a venue full of atmosphere and charm (including a shop and bar/restaurant) that should thrive very well next to other cultural venues on the newly created East Bank.

Our Mighty Groove was at Sadler's Wells East until 9 February. For more information about Sadler's Wells East, click here.

Photo credit: Rich Lakos