Hofesh Shechter is one of maybe four theatre makers, and only two choreographers, whose shows I always aim to see. His latest show, In the Brain, which is described as “part rave, part ritual”, is currently in Manchester as part of a European tour.
In the Brain is developed from CAVE, a shorter work originally produced by Martha Graham Company and Studio Simkin, after the creative director of the latter, Daniil Simkin, pitched the idea to the former, after being immersed in the iconic rave scene in Berlin. Directed, choreographed and co-composed by Shechter, it explored nightlife and human gathering through dance and its transcendental quality. In the Brain builds on this, transforming the theatre into a visceral, high-voltage celebration of movement, music and pure, unfiltered energy.
Choreographed dance and rave dancing are at odds with each other, for the latter is completely free, and sometimes it is just movement, which might not be considered dancing at all. This piece, however, blends the two, choreographing rave movement, shining a light on the ritualistic nature of raves, which are ostensibly liberating and free of restriction yet have their own set of rules, or at least conventions, and purpose.
The choreography features Shechter’s signature heavy, thumping, rhythmic style, though he takes a gentler approach in the first half, perhaps representing a rave before it gets busy, and before the ravers fully let loose, after consuming alcohol, and maybe drugs, and losing themselves in the music.
The choreography, and Hector’s compositions, become louder and sharper in the second half, as the ravers fully embraced hedonism, debauchery, and the contradictory nature of ritualism and liberation. The movement, performed by eight early-career dancers, is raw, kinetic and hypnotic, corresponding with the intense, pulsating electronic score. The ravers are like zombies, not only in terms of physical movement but also in terms of how they correspond with each other, in sync, almost like a hive mind, losing their individualism to the ritual that is a rave.
Whilst the first half is a little slow, and you are left yearning for Shechter’s high-volacity movement and music, this makes its eventual arrival even more powerful, and it seems to represent one’s yearning to let loose and rave.
As is custom with Shechter’s works, there is a noticeable lack of a production. His previous touring show, Theatre of Dreams, was notable for embracing more theatricality, because of its themes and intentions. Whilst In the Brain has very little production, with the spectacle coming from the movement, it is still meticulously designed, with Tom Visser masterfully achieving an atmospheric, cinematic quality with his simple lighting, and Osnat Kelner’s askew costumes being ostensibly pedestrian but appearing slightly off-balance and askew (layers are removed, reinforcing the deconstructive themes of the subconscious mind). Together, they heighten the dream-like, subconnscious theme of the piece and create something of a sensory overload.
Whilst Hofesh Shechter has a signature style, in both choreography and composition, and he stubbornly sticks to it, albeit with some variation from show to show, he always succeeds in applying it to new ideas and themes, as he unearths the grit beneath the glamour of theatre or the ritualism beneath the liberation of raves. This a testament to his artistic brilliance: he has crafted a unique style that can speak to various, perhaps countless, issues and ideas, if not all of them.
In the Brain runs at HOME (Theatre 1) until May 30 and tours the UK until July 25 and Europe until October 4.
JADAR 