Review: A LIFE IN FOUR SEASONS, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Vivaldi's Four Seasons is one of the most recognised tunes going, thanks to its ubiquity in advertisements, as lift music and hold music (which this piece wittily refers to), so it's difficult to hear it afresh. That's what makes this reinterpretation of it, through an electronic remix by DJ Walde and vibrant new dance production directed by Tinuke Craig and choreographed by Alexzandra Sarmiento, such a distinct pleasure.

The show's striking conceit is featuring dancers of all ages, reflecting the passage of time in Vivaldi's piece from buoyant spring to reflective winter. Each dancer brings their own life experience and energy to the movement, giving us wonderful variation even as the strong ensemble all perform the same steps. There is also an effective range of styles within the company, from jazz to breakdancing, contemporary and classical.

We begin with the youngest trio, decked out in vivid school uniform-meets-art smock costumes, representing three friends at the start of their journey together. One is Head, one Heart, and one Gut, and the dancers playing these friends in different life stages are dressed throughout the piece in blue, pink and orange so we can easily follow them. Beryl Tay, as Spring Head, has particularly lovely extensions and control, floating through the music lighter than air.

We then move into adolescence with "Summer", here involving heartbreak, exploration, and sheer hedonism - the latter embodied by the excellent Michael Naylor as a techno-loving, drug-fuelled Gut, who gets lost in the euphoria. Here Sarmiento's choreography vacillates between the awkward uncertainty of young adulthood and reckless ecstasy as the dancers hit every accent of DJ Walde's pulsating rearrangement.

The more elegiac "Autumn" section sees the three friends reunited and in contemplative mood, alongside signs of struggle by the viscerally expressive Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as Head. They are briefly rejoined by the summer trio, and mirror one another's steps while recognising the change in their lives, ending in a wry punchline as the more mature group collapses in exhaustion.

Finally, and most poignantly, we have three exceptional dancers for "Winter": the commanding, profound Susan Kempster as Head; accepting, harmonious and joyful Mark Smith as Heart; and impressively agile, life-affirming Mami Tomotani as Gut. They spark off one another, as forever friends are wont to do, and support one another physically too. While they may not have the athletic range of the younger dancers, their performances are mesmerising in their emotional depth and authenticity.

Throughout, the lead dancers are brilliantly backed by an ensemble dressed in grey, who alternately echo, challenge, and supplement the choreography. One particular standout is the statuesque Christie Lee Manning – a dead ringer for actress Christine Baranski.

The dancers are supported by Ryan Dawson Laight's set: semi-abstract stone blocks (four, of course), which are illuminated in the theme colours by Zeynep Kepekli's vibrant lighting. The other joy in this special alfresco venue is how rare it is to see dancers in the open air, part of nature – a balletomane pigeon even had a cameo appearance.

All credit to artistic director Drew McOnie for so passionately championing dance once again at Regent's Park – particularly new work that experiments with a classical icon in such a bold and innovative way. Following last year's similarly enjoyable Dream Ballets, it seems dance now takes centre stage at this special theatre – and hurrah for that.

A Life in Four Seasons runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 14 June