Aakash Odedra Company - Samsara - The Lowry - 09/10/2022

[Jan McNulty]

I was at The Lowry last night to see Aakash Odedra's Samsara.

 

The blurb on the information sheet is that this duet is about monks attempting a long pilgrimage.  It is a duet for Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan with 3 musicians live on stage.

 

What can I say - it was astounding, mesmerising, enthralling and I was absolutely blown away by the evening.

 

There is something of a set within the black box of the stage.  There are what are perhaps statues in a temple.  

 

The work starts off slowly with a beautiful, sensual solo for Hu Shenyuan with the stage in almost complete darkness.  He then puts on a robe and walks slowly around the stage.  Hold on... are there 2 of them?  As the soundscape fades away the two monks meet and there is almost a martial arts duet with the percussionists just about visible at the back of the stage.

 

There then follows a much more reflective section with the 2 dancers matching each other as though they are helping each other along the way.

 

In the final section perhaps they have arrived.  Sand falls from the ceiling and covers the dancers and the stage.  There seem to have been some sort of rituals performed by the statues.  The performance ends with Aakash Odedra on the floor and the now disrobed Hu Shenyuan again dancing a sensual solo.

 

The lighting is just amazing with spotlights from above highlighting different parts of the set and the dancers.

 

I, as was the rest of the audience, was mesmerised by this work and never wanted it to end.  However it did end to great acclaim and a well deserved standing ovation.

 

What a stunning, glorious performance it was.

[Emeralds]

I see Samsara is at Sadler’s Wells on 17 & 18 Oct ....a bit of juggling required if I were to catch it. Great review, Janet!  It sounds brilliant.