Choreographers: Ola Ince, Holly Blakey, Russell Maliphant, Video Patel, Lucy Bennetter, Edd Arnold, Thick & Tight and Shelley Maxwell
The name England on Fire may evoke thoughts of a country at war with itself: the rise of far-right activism perhaps, or riots inspired by the treatment of marginalised communities. But fire has other, more constructive and creative, allusions: of passion, of spurts of invention.
It is this latter meaning which drives the art book England on Fire by curator Stephen Ellcock and former Suede bassist Mat Osman. Billed as “a visual journey through England’s psychic landscape”, that summary is also applicable to BalletBoyz’ latest work, inspired by the book.
Michael Nunn and William Trevitt have followed Ellcock’s curatorial spirit by bringing together eight choreographers to create ten individual works. That could have produced a fragmented evening of performances, but there is a sense of continuity and consistency throughout that is refreshing for such a collage of work.
The ensemble work opens with most of the company dressed in flowing black robes, with headdresses made from animal skulls, while dancer Artemis Stimouli awakens from slumber. If Stimouli is the spirit of England, of Albion, it sets the scene for an abstract progression through the development of an idealised country.
And yet there is little in the way of straightforward chronological journey; like the book, this is like a wander through a themed gallery rather than a history lesson. And so we get a trio of priest-like figures whose billowing red costumes suggest a thematic link to the fire of the evening’s title; or three dancers clad all in rags, ribbons and bells, like Cornish folk dancers taken to the extreme.
But most often we get the entire company, either dancing in unison or off doing their own wildly creative thing, usually clad in multicolour, gender-fluid outfits that suggest a very 21st century on the post-punk New Romantic period.
That mash-up of styles is reflected in the music. A nine-piece onstage orchestra performs a number of pieces (like the choreography, each piece is composed by a different artist). The live music is evocative, often with hints of folk music from around the British Isles – for while the title is England on Fire, the work samples from traditions that transcend our current national boundaries.
And then the large flag of St George which has served as a backdrop pulls upwards, to reveal rock band Gaga Salon behind. They write and perform two numbers; the first, Horses, feels a little jarring and repetitive, but their second, 21st Century Classical Music, is more coherent and joyous.
The entire piece lasts for around 80 minutes without an interval, but it feels longer. Not because it drags, which it most certainly doesn’t – more because it is so engaging that one loses track of time while watching.
It really is a bizarre, oddball piece of work as a whole. If there’s anything to compare it to, one might dare to suggest the London 2012 Opening Ceremony – which, while it took a more literal approach to the chronological heritage of Britain, also successfully fused many different styles into a supremely entertaining whole.
By the time the curtain comes down, the dancers are still continuing, Stimouli now circling a circle of the rest of the company. Albion lives on, that suggests, and will be on fire for centuries to come. One feels sure that, after this four-night residency at Sadler’s Wells, the same will be said for England on Fire.
Continues until 11 November 2023
