Review: Rambert Death Trap at The Lowry is ‘not just a dance performance’

Rambert delivers a delightful double bill dance show with Death Trap, an exploration of Cerberus and Goat, two short plays which relate to death.

The show begins with Romarna Campbell’s dramatic drumming delivering an intense beat while the spotlight is on Aishwarya Raut, (Eurydice), who dances from one end of the stage to the other with a rope around her waist, creating a mysterious atmosphere of curiosity.

Cerberus

Cerberus explores Greek mythology, where the spirit-like dances showcase themes around death, executed in a delicate manner by exceptional movers with dramatic demeanours.

At times, the dances were so fluid it appeared that their movements were in slow motion. The wonderful lighting helped achieve this effect.

Goat

In the second half of Goat, the fourth wall is completely broken, enabling the audience to interact with the performance,  with Angélique Blasco delivering a comedic showhost type performance and getting the audience involved.

The audience laughed a lot, especially in the second half. Lines were delivered with perfect timing, all of the dancers were spectacular and performed brilliantly in a synchronised manner.

Standout

But for me, Jonathan Wade was the standout performer with his solo dance pairing well with Simone’s music sung by Sheree DuBois, who also sang exceptionally well.

This was the point when the audience was most stunned – a vision of emotional investment from the audience as they understood the unravelling of the characters.

Death Trap will appeal to a wide audience. It’s not just a dance performance, but a humorous depiction of death that offers comedy, drama and some romance.

Rambert Death Trap is at The Lowry until 20th April. Tickets can be booked here.