Live Performance Review: Sweet Mambo: Performed by Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch (Edinburgh International Festival (E.I.F.) 2014), Sunday 24.08.2014 20:00 The Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh

This was a hypnotic dreamlike queasy performance. There was a nightmarish oppressive quality to sections, at other times there was a cheeky-teasing playfulness that was very appealing. At times it felt mildly erotic. The fluidity with which the dancers moved from one element to another contributed considerably to the hypnotic quality. There was only one occasion where the fluidity was broken due to an abrupt change of musical styles, though otherwise the musical accompanyment was integral to the unrelenting nature of the work. 

The stage was sparse, yet the staging at times was quite dramatic due to clever use of curtains and lighting. There was fantastic use of wind machines directed towards the curtains to create fantastic billowing shapes which the dancers had to be able to work around. There was a section where an attractive female dancer was moving in a constrained fashion within an undulating curtain and due to clever use of lighting, the dancer was teasingly visible within varying degrees of shadow. 

There was only one aspect of the performance that did not sit immediately comfortably and this was the fact that several of the dancers were also speaking as they went about their movements. Some were repeating set phrases, which was easier, as this appeared at least in part to be for the rhythm of the words as they flowed. Some were expressing deliberately comedic utterances, which was also fine. Some were appearing to be doing almost mini-monologing, without purpose of humour or rhythm. This was the element I found to not sit easily, though also across the whole performance, it is a minor quibble. 

It was considerably refreshing to attend a dance performance which had such a great focus upon humour. This performance was engrossing, when it came to being aware that it was the end of the performance, there was a sense of the performance having flown by. Pina Bausch died several years ago, and there are questions as to whether this dance company can continue going. It would be a shame if they are not able to continue and the world of dance would loose this unique lighthearted approach and be poorer for it. 

Rating: 10/10.