Review: DANSE MACABRE at Grand Théâtre

Just a few days after Message in a Bottle, Broadway World had the pleasure of attending the premiere of Danse Macabre, a production developed by Vlad Troitskyi and featuring performances by the Dakh Daughters and Tetiena Troitska. The two shows take radically different approaches to the same topic, perfectly displaying two possible dichotomies of storytelling. If the first was chiefly concerned with the arrival of refugees at the border of host nations, Danse Macabre focused on the horrible tragedies befalling innocent people during a conflict.

The gold: The stories. Every member of the cast narrated, at one point or another, a disturbing tale taking place during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From murder, to rape, from xenophobia to despair, each monologue was a piece of an all too real mosaic. While knowing Ukrainian would have definitely helped understanding the depth of these tales, the profound emotion was quite clearly passed down to the viewer in both tone and acting.

The silver: The opening of the suitcases. This scene was the culmination of a recurrent theme of the play - the constant and chaotic escape from unexpected danger, while carrying fragments of your past life in a small suitcase. The lighting and the fading colours were remarkably chosen and displayed in a way that was both intimate and touching.

The bronze:  The alarm. Almost a character in its own right, the alarm had an overarching presence that affected everyone around. Having opted to use the sound of the actual emergency services of Ukraine, the admirable members of the audience who have actually braved the unthinkable and joined us this evening were particularly able to feel this touch of realism.

As usual, our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Photo Credit: Oleksandr Kosmach

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