Review: UWRUBBA at Grand Théâtre

Last Friday, the Grand Théâtre of Luxembourg opened its doors for the premiere of the show Uwrubba by Ali and Hèdi Thabet. An unexpected tapestry of art in many of its forms - dance, music, film and poetry - a unique composition of movement, sound and spoken word. After a two year break from the stage, the duo returned with a performance that combines Greek, Turkish and Tunisian melodies with medieval lyricism, contemporary dance and the poetry of René Char.

The gold: The introduction scene. The breath-taking moment that introduced the dancers to the audience. One by one, the performers appeared from under the vast robes of the lyrical singer in a primal and intense manner. The dark and static stare of the first dancer made the public freeze in their sits, while the purposefully hidden faces of her peers gave you an uncomfortable and unreal feeling of basic rawness.

The silver: Hey You. At the risk of sounding biased, integrating this iconic Pink Floyd song into the show was probably one of the most significant choices made by the creators. It was adapted to the overall music style of the play and the singer was not hiding his accent. But it absolutely fit in this combination of emotions and artistic expressions, adding an additional layer of meaning and feeling to an already rich performance.

The bronze: The cultural mix. The melting pot of concepts and styles was no doubt at the very heart of the show. The result was widely captivating, even if at times the attention dedicated to the format seemed to outshine the themes of the play. With outcasts of the past and of modern times as its main motif, the performance was so diverse that some intended messages might have been lost in the mixture.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

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