Dickens classic condensed into innovative 90-minute multi-media dance production

A Tale of Two Cities at the Corn Exchange on Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6 Review by ROBIN STRAPP

Dickens’ classic 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities is given a brave and intriguing adaptation by director and choreographer Ben Duke and Lost Dog theatre company.

The challenge of condensing such a vast book into a 90 minute multi-media dance production is hugely challenging and is performed with audacity and spirit by this daring talented cast with some outstanding innovative dance sequences.

Nina-Morgane Madelaine is our congenial feisty host who is making a filmed documentary tracing her family history that reveals many secrets. She explains that it’s a complex story and perhaps we should draw her family tree on the space in the programme to help following the characters. It certainly was a help to keep up with the plot.

She plays the younger Lucie Manette, who managed to escape from Paris during the terrors of the French Revolution, together with her mother (Valentina Forment) and her husband Charles Darnay (Hannes Langolf).

John Kendal is engaging as her brother and Temitope-Ajose Cutting as Madame Lafarge is truly impressive. Her stylised dance sequences are filled with emotion and passion as she discovers the fate of her younger sister. She also holds vital clues as to the family’s history.

Amber Vandenhoek’s striking set design of a combat torn house with a vast ceiling, that is used as a giant projection screen allows the interior rooms to be shown, as the family continue with their domesticity, and Lucie’s questioning.

The camera work filmed live is striking and seamlessly morphs into recorded video particularly when Darnay cleverly becomes the ghostly figure of Sydney Carton.

The powerful scene when the house is set on fire by Defarge is emotional with dramatic lighting by Katy Morison and stunning visual effects (Will Duke).

It’s a constantly changing production from a four minute dance routine as a man is hanged, with a digital clock counting down the minutes until he dies. To an inventive dance duet between two pistol wielding female performers.

The eclectic choice of music from Bellini, Vivaldi and Bach as well as modern artists such as Nancy Sinatra enhance the production.

This exhausting to watch production was spellbinding.