Company Wayne McGregor in Autobiography (v95 & v96) and UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey, Sadler's Wells Theatre, 12-16 March 2024

[Emeralds]

This could well turn out to be a topic with no replies (haha) but anyway, Wayne McGregor brings the next two iterations of his Autobiography series to Sadler's Wells this month. Exploring the merging of DNA, AI and dance, v95 of Autobiography was presented last night, v96 will be presented tonight.

 

On Friday and Saturday evenings (no matinées), the company reprise his UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey which was premiered at the Linbury Theatre in May last year- a production employing digital technology effects and sploen word as well as dance, a meditation on the climate crisis, exploring the inseparability of humanity and nature.

 

Both productions are approximately 1h 20 minutes long with no interval- useful if you want an early night or have plans after 9pm! I can't attend Autobiography but might be considering UniVerse if my schedule allows. 

 

Wayne McGregor is also in the next instalment of Choreographer Conversations  in the Lillian Baylis Studio on Friday at 6.15pm -the event is sold out. (Choreographers appearing later on  include Crystal Pite.) The conversation will be BSL interpreted and filmed for Sadler's Wells' Digital Stage. Feel free to comment on the Choreographer Conversation on this thread too, if you are attending.

 

There are currently still some tickets for Autobiography but UniVerse is selling quickly. 

Edited March 13 by Emeralds

[alison]

I seem to remember UniVerse getting very good reviews in the Linbury.  If I'd realised it was that short, I might have booked the Friday, but I might well be pretty tired/down the pub after a conference.

[Emeralds]

I only just found out about the short running times today too,  @alison! Had I known I could have organised a meet up with a friend in North London instead of picking a different date. We might still be able to organise something.....I'll see. I'll be interested to see what fellow members who are going think of it or Autobiography, or the pre-show discussion on Friday. 

 

I must admit I hadn't really paid attention to the previous iterations of Autobiography but I do remember some of our members also reviewed UniVerse when it was at Linbury last year (it clashed with deadlines I had so I couldn't go). What I  remember from the newspapers and forum was that the show was creative and innovative.... when they didn't have technical problems with the tech/effects! I would imagine the Sadler's Wells equipment could cope better with the digital demands though. 

[zxDaveM]

I enjoyed the Universe piece a lot in the Linbury - might be a challenge to appreciate it in the 2nd Circle though (but giving it a bash friday)

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, zxDaveM said:

I enjoyed the Universe piece a lot in the Linbury - might be a challenge to appreciate it in the 2nd Circle though (but giving it a bash friday)

Would be interested to see if you think it works better at Sadler's Wells or at Linbury, or if it feels the same, @zxDaveM. 

[Emeralds]

Forgot to add: the Choreographer Conversations and all the dance films, including BRB's Lazuli Sky and NB's States of Mind (beautiful classical choreography in it), conversations with Carlos Acosta, Alina Cojocaru, Tiler Peck et al, on the Sadler's Wells Digital Stage are free of charge to watch on the theatre website!

[San Perregrino]

Looking forward to your review @Emeralds

Edited March 14 by PeterS

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

Looking forward to your review @Emeralds

Thank you @PeterS- am not currently 100% sure I'm able to go this weekend as it's getting really swamped....would recommend @zxDaveM's review (when he has a few moments to post it) though! However, I'll definitely "attend" the Choreographer Conversation online (during tea breaks!) once it's uploaded and will offer my usual two pennies' worth 😀

[Lynette H]

I saw UniVerse in the Linbury last year.  The visual effects are very impressive. It might be better to approach this as an art installation which has a modest amount of dancing involved.  I hope at Sadler's they can replicate the giant fish hologram (or projection)  which in the Linbury I could have sworn was floating above the stalls area. 

[postie]

Giant hologram fish, you say? I knew there was a reason.

 

Anyway, the email for tonight (Friday) says '1 hour, 12 minutes (no interval)'. Hmm.

 

 

[Emeralds]

2 hours ago, postie said:

Giant hologram fish, you say? I knew there was a reason.

 

Anyway, the email for tonight (Friday) says '1 hour, 12 minutes (no interval)'. Hmm.

 

 

I think that's if they begin exactly at 7.30pm and it doesn't include any time for applause or curtain calls after the performance.

 

NB just to add that the show uses a lot of digital and stage effects (the hologram being an example) and there could be delay to the start of the show due to technical glitches, so don't schedule anything crucial after the show where you must be out by 8.45pm, @postie.

 

Looking forward to your reaction/review about the performance afterwards! 

[postie]

3 hours ago, Emeralds said:

I think that's if they begin exactly at 7.30pm and it doesn't include any time for applause or curtain calls after the performance.

 

Sorry for the bold. It was a copy and paste from the email and I just couldn't get rid of it. The 'Hmm' was in response to the production - I'd hoped for a little longer.

[bridiem]

Interesting review of this by Alastair Macaulay in today's Links. I haven't seen this piece, but what Macaulay writes seems to me to be generally relevant to much of McGregor's work.

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, postie said:

 

Sorry for the bold. It was a copy and paste from the email and I just couldn't get rid of it. The 'Hmm' was in response to the production - I'd hoped for a little longer.

No problem at all. If it's any consolation,  compare it to the man's solo in Le Corsaire pas de deux which is only 59 seconds (I'm using Vadim Muntagirov's tempo which is not fast nor rushed 😀)  but packs a lot in and is very memorable! Hope you enjoy the show!

[Emeralds]

3 hours ago, bridiem said:

Interesting review of this by Alastair Macaulay in today's Links. I haven't seen this piece, but what Macaulay writes seems to me to be generally relevant to much of McGregor's work.

Quite a helpful and descriptive review from Macaulay for a change! Ignore the misleading title which seems to be referring to Kevin O'Hare rather than Wayne McGregor. BTW, he is writing about Autobiography but doesn't stipulate if it's v95 or v96.

[zxDaveM]

Went to see 'Universe' Friday night. The projections weren't nearly as effective up in the side of the 2nd circle of Sadlers Wells, as they were from the circle of the Linbury. In the latter thy gave the impression of being 3-D, whereas from my Sad Wells viewpoint, they just looked like projections onto a front scrim, and often just hid the dancers, rather than creating a viewscape for them. So the big fish not so jaw dropping from my perspective. Hopefully, those lower down (in the higher priced seats) got a more rewarding experience. There was one section though, that became very effective from my viewpoint - during the cosmolgy phase (my label) the dancers could be seen above the hill with the telescope (its laser used for corrective optics clearly visible) as if they were 'dancing constellations' what with their sparkly onesies. Elsewhere, the 3-D, IR view of a wood/copse floated around and was also effective from my spot.

The dancing itself (when visible - the gloom not helping when so far back) was super. The individual/duet/trios pieces were often spellbinding. I forgot to find my Linbury programme, and too tight to buy another on the night, so was a trifle bamboozled as to what was occurring quite often, but my feeling was that 'Mr Everyman' was going about thoughtlessly destroying the environment; the seas, the woods, deserts being created, and suchlike. Though I remember the ending being somewhat baffling, and last night didn't change my mind.