It’s a state of the nation piece. Actually, not the nation, the whole globe, humanity itself. Not as pompous as that sounds. Necessary. This is the world premiere of Figures in Extinction as a full three-act work (in the UK, the first act was performed as part of Nederlands Dans Theater’s own tour). It is a meaty piece from Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite and Complicité director Simon McBurney, rich with thought and heart and a plea for the future of the Earth and its creatures, humans included.
McBurney’s directorial hand brings clarity, with voiceovers lip-synced by the dancers; Pite’s movement turns the stage into a living thing, the dancers’ bodies expanding on the text. They are expert (along with the wider creative team – special nods to sound designer Benjamin Grant, Tom Visser’s lighting, Arjen Klerkx’s video) at shaping atmosphere, the morphing shades of silence, sorrow, humour, fear and relief.
