It's rare that a performance with no words is witty, but that's one word that springs to mind in describing KAGE's new show, Flesh And Bone. Devised and performed by dance duo KAGE – comprising Kate Denborough and Gerard Van Dyck – it's replete with visual puns and incisive humour, as well as moments of searching social commentary.
Gender as performance is central to the show. Along with the dancers' bodies, it uses all kinds of props, from detachable genitalia to circus apparatus to play with our attitudes to sex. One memorable set piece uses a can of tomatoes and an array of other accoutrements in a parody of sensuality, while in another, enormous black balloons are attached to the performers by increasingly tangled strings. Hovering over the dancers like an agitated audience, they add drama to every move.
Key to the performance is the rapport between Denborough and Van Dyck. Their longstanding connection as performers (they first worked together 15 years ago) lends depth to the multifaceted relationships that their dance depicts. Frequent set changes and dynamic sound design give the one-hour show a heightened sense of energy, despite some awkward transitions between sets. Never taking itself too seriously, it's a dance show with substance and imagination.
Fortyfivedownstairs to Sunday 24 March
