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Sacha Chang in ZooNation’s Into the Hoods |
Dance moves speak louder than words
INTO THE HOODS
Novello Theatre
IT might sound like a dicey idea thought up by one of those well-meaning drama teachers: hey kids, stop fooling around with those elastic bands, let’s imagine how classic fairytales might be told from underneath a hoody.
But don’t be cynical. Into The Hoods is one of the most inspirational shows you will see, whatever age you are.
Not a musical, more of a, erm, breakdancical – there isn’t a production like it in the West End.
The agility of the dancers, mainly recruited by ZooNation from people you normally see behind miming pop acts on Top of the Pops, is breathtaking and enough to make anybody who spent or is spending their youth searching for the best mobile phone ringtones on the top deck of a bus realise where they went wrong. All they needed was a dance mat.
Of course, it’s a romantic view of estate life: here residents spark up block parties at the drop of a beat and everybody is smiling as long as they’re wearing a different primary colour hoody and matching trainers. If only a world did exist where being able to pay the rent was of secondary importance to being able to dance on your hands and swivel on your head.
Yet every time Into The Hoods risks becoming corny, it excels with its wit, surprise and ingenuity. From the first hint of Roots Manuva’s Dreamy Days, Danilo Walde’s hectic DJ mix of hip hop, dance and soul, a tour of everything from John Legend, Basement Jaxx, a sniff of Chaka and even a little Coldplay, there is hardly a moment for breath.
Nobody speaks – the words come from the patchwork of songs.
That’s clever but the choreography is even more outstanding and will put to shame neighbouring productions in the West End.
Director Kate Prince has triumphed. It’s a shame then that this mini-masterpiece is only on for another month, filling prime space at the Novello so shamefully wasted by the Blondie musical Desperately Seeking Susan, which closed earlier.
It deserves a much longer run. I’d go again.
Until May 10
CNJ Booking Line 0870 040 0070
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