The ephemeral world of Pilobolus: Shadowland in London

In Shadowland, Pilobolus create a vast and varied imaginative landscape, through which we follow a young girl on the brink of growing up. On a rare visit to London, this American dance theatre group stunned audiences at the Peacock Theatre on their opening nights earlier this week.

I adored the journey I took with Pilobolus into Shadowland. At first I felt myself critiquing it with the cold eyes of an I’m-too-adult-for-this young reviewer, but I soon let that go and gave in to the wonderfully depicted shadow characters on stage/screen.

Pilobolus tread a fine line between implied imagination (or dream-world) and reality, negotiating the influence one has upon another. Although her journey and the fleeting, transient characters dog girl meets are entirely dreamt and probably forgotten in the harsh light of day, the whole experience seems to have an important bearing on her life once back in reality. This is not only a beautifully told visual story, but a journey of discovery; Pilobolus explore the power of the darkness to transform and reveal who we really are.

Click the link in the title to read my full 4-star review on Bachtrack.