The Ballerina – Khaos / VAULT Festival, London

Anne-Marie Sophie’s clever work The Ballerina is finally on at VAULT Festival, prompting us to question our perceptions and our moral compass.

The Ballerina

The coming together of writing, direction and acting in Khaos Theatre’s The Ballerina, on until 5 February at VAULT Festival, is truly something to behold. Anne-Marie Sophie is a multi-talented individual for whom writing is only one strand of her career. She has created a work here which subverts our expectations and creates a compelling dynamic between its two central characters. James Barnes directs, deftly, relieving sometimes shocking content with moments lighter in tone. The company furthermore experiment with Antonin Artaud’s ‘Theatre of Cruelty’ concept, assaulting our senses and bringing subconscious forces into play. And lastly the VAULT Festival’s Cavern space offsets each of these elements to perfection, providing the perfect atmospheric backdrop.

From the time we first walk into the Cavern, we know we are in for a confronting 75 minutes. Masked and hooded characters are either in stress positions, guarding the apparent detainees, or dancing around them. When the action begins, we meet Colin Clutterbuck (Dominique Izabella Little), a British diplomat working in an unnamed Francophone country in Africa, who has been detained following a concert. Or are things that simple? Pacifique Muamba (Edward Nkom), you see, knows who she works for. Muamba, a “walking amalgamation of Paul Kagame, Andre Leon Talley and Karl Lagerfeld” according to the press release, interrogates her (and worse) over the course of her detention.

The point of this play, however, is that is isn’t as simple as the victim and the oppressor. Instead a much more nuanced conversation emerges between the two which questions truth, democracy, and other similarly lofty concepts. Who gets to decide what good democracy is? Which ends justify which means?

VAULT Festival and Khaos: Subverting Theatrical Conventions

Perhaps it was the ‘Theatre of Cruelty’ (in which theatre doesn’t mean theatre exactly, and cruelty doesn’t quite mean cruelty), but The Ballerina really kept me on my toes (pun intended). The character of Muamba represents the figures behind any dictatorship. When he becomes a protagonist and a sympathetic character, therefore, it’s something of a surprise. What are the preconceived ideas we bring with us that make this so? His hobbies, his views on the world, his dismantling of Clutterbuck’s confidence in British democracy and the protections of a diplomatic passport: all of these encourage us to challenge and test our own assumptions and the realities of global politics.

The long stage down the centre of the vaulted space helps with this subversion of norms, but does mean you will miss the odd bit of dialogue depending on where you’re sitting. The lighting and sound by Magnus Westwell is excellent, and adds to the disconcerting experience we see unfolding before us (as do the trains passing overhead and the dripping walls). Nkom really brings the multi-layered character of Muamba to life, and I would like the opportunity to see him in more work.

The Ballerina was originally slated for the 2020 VAULT Festival. Between you-know-what and the unfortunate cancellation of last year’s festival, it must be a relief to all involved that it’s finally here. It’s a win for audiences too to be able to see this work on stage, a work which has only become more timely in the interim as various challenges to democracy rear their heads.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

The Ballerina on until 5 February 2023

Learn more about Khaos Theatre here and book tickets here