Draw from Within

Originally conceived as a live digital broadcast and performed by Rambert in and around its company building, Wim Vandekeybus’ Draw from Within has been reimagined for the stage.

At times exuberant and comical, at others serious, the work shifts in tone from scene to scene. This episodic, disparate nature is what makes it both intriguing and frustrating.

The piece contains moments of striking imagery, but other moments feel forced and awkward as if it is trying too hard to achieve a feeling of edgy surrealism.

In an early scene, the dancers move in fluid, spiralling bursts that echo the smoke that trails from the blown-out matches they hold as they dance. In the dancers’ controlled abandonment there’s an infectious, uplifting sense of exhilaration.

The piece rapidly switches from the atmospheric to the absurd. Scenes of physical athleticism give way to images of bodies suspended from hooks in a manner reminiscent of meat carcasses; a woman gives birth; a telephone operator fields a volley of calls on her switchboard.

This stream-of-consciousness approach could work, but the piece loses momentum in its longer scenes particularly those that feature commentary overlaying the action. Rather than accentuating the drama or creating a comedic tone, this ad-lib style comes across as a forced addition.

Perhaps as a result of its digital origins, Draw from Within feels most like a movie trailer. It offers a glimpse of something great but never quite reels you in.