The Kiss Inside Review

It is hard to critique a performance that encompasses as much raw talent, sheer physicality and such evident passion as Douglas Wright’s new work, The Kiss Inside.

This performance shows the very best of dance talent in this part of the world – and yet unfortunately also includes some bizarre and completely out-of-context scenes that detract from the overall power of the show.

His principal dancers are insanely good, showcasing a calibre of talent rarely seen; supremely fast, perfectly timed, making complex choreography look simple and flowing. The pace of many of the dance sequences is frenetically fast, drawing the audience into a fast-paced intensity that is hard to look away from. It feels angry and passionate, and you can sense that each and every dancer is leaving their heart and soul (as well as plenty of sweat) on the stage. In particular, the group sequences and one absolutely beautiful pas-de-deux are highlights of the show.

And yet. In something of a self-sabotaging move, Wright has chosen to inject the work with a handful of what can only be described as truly strange vignettes, such as the person dressed in a gorilla suit who brings ‘half time’ oranges for the dancers on stage. It breaks the rhythm and is utterly incongruous with what is otherwise a beautiful and carefully-crafted show. Is it comic relief? Or have we missed an inside joke? Hard to tell but if you have to scratch your head over it and raise eyebrows in disbelief along with your fellow audience members, it makes you wonder.

This aside, The Kiss Inside is clearly the culmination of many years’ work and a labour of love for Wright. His skill as a choreographer and mentor are crystal clear in the movements and capabilities of his very talented cast (and in himself, when he performs a scene early in the performance).

The Kiss Inside is on again tonight in Auckland, with subsequent performances in Wanaka, Dunedin and Nelson.
Reviewed by Natalie Ridler.

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