Review: MAY B, Compagnie Maguy Marin - Sadler’s Wells

Photo credit: Hervé Deroo

Based on the writings of Samuel Beckett, May B by acclaimed French choreographer Maguy Marin evokes the playwright's absurdist and unmistakable mood, creating a truly engrossing, at times bewildering, but ultimately beautifully grotesque physical and visual universe.

For those familiar with Sadler's Wells, the opportunity to witness May B is generally taken with gusto and considered a must-see for any dance theatre enthusiast, if not only to simply say they have seen it. Marin's interpretation of Beckett's work, which she sought and received permission for in 1981, distils a remarkable level of nuance from his unmistakable style. Translating Beckett’s notorious use of repetition and rhythm into a physical form, Marin has her ten dancers in shabby pieces of white clothing and painted in white dusty paint, synchronise sliding footwork and use abrupt, prolonged pauses which unsettle yet captivate the audience. There is illusion in every moment, a main reason why the work has been and will be inspiring for so many.

The dancers masterfully and theatrically embody aged and weathered bodies with an astonishing accuracy, leaving no room for fault setting the bar high for every performer on stage. Their juxtaposition of moving with minimalistic efficiency with full commit and moments of chaos that is a commendable physical feat.

While this work sits in the genre of dance, it also straddles the world of the clown. The characters emerging from the ensemble are grotesque yet vulnerable, offering a mix of humour, melancholy, and despair that is uncomfortably relatable.

Moments of voice occasionally erupt from the performers, embedding into the movement scores where silence and recorded music play equal roles in disrupting or prolonging the on-stage action. It feels like there are constant contractions happening in the space, intention with no intention, unpredictability that becomes predictable and tenderness that then feels violent. It is inspired by the king of absurdism after all.

May B finds the meeting point between movement and theatre to unlock Beckett’s visceral language in a unique way. This is probably why the work has endured an over 40 year career and continues to challenge audiences that keep pilling in, thus earning its place as an iconic piece of European dance theatre.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Stephanie Osztreicher