Hofesh Schechter II’s ‘From England With Love’ at Home, Manchester: A Must-See Dance Performance on UK Tour 2024

Wow. What a show. Where to start . . . ?

I’m a very recent convert to the work of Hofesh Schechter; the only other piece of his I know is Clowns, a hypnotic 30-minute treatise on violence that opened my eyes to just how eloquent dance can be in a way I’ve only previously experienced watching work by Pina Bausch.

As the title suggests, there’s much that’s undoubtedly English about From England With Love, from the Elgar to the school uniforms; something tenaciously recognisable, even when it feels like we’re looking at reflections in a hall of mirrors – an effect made all the more powerful by the sneaking suspicion that it is the on-stage reflections that are accurate, our own perceptions of ourselves that are warped. Indeed, there’s something both jarring and fitting about seeing this piece on D-Day.

There have been times and places where performances as elemental as this might have attracted accusations of witchcraft, the sudden transformations answered with the intervention of an exorcist. It’s a powerful show that keeps you in its grip from start to finish, one that startles, unsettles, and challenges.

Rather than merely providing the background to the incredible dancing, the sound design is totally integral to the performance. I realised at one point I’d been tapping my toes for some time, not because of the catchiness of the music, but because it seeps in subliminally in a way that’s impossible to resist.

I’ve no doubt that the dancers are fit enough that they could keep this exertion up for hour upon hour; if they did, we’d all still be there not so much watching them, as completely wrapped up in the action. What astounds is the maintenance of this level of intense focus, where every single part of every writhing body is fully inhabited at all times.

There are similar levels of intense energy and control coupled with lightness of touch in the choreographic choices, a subliminal power to the images created, dissolved, and reformed before our eyes, a dreamlike quality deliberately contrasted with the more concrete, so that there are moments where you wonder whether you’ve been shown an image of something specific, or whether you’re projecting. Am I meant at one point to see refugees in danger of drowning, for example, or is that merely my own interpretation?

I’m not completely sure of the answer, but nor am I sure the answer matters.

As a parent, it is impossible to see this group of young people writhing and chanting ‘My mind is my mind’ without thinking of the intolerable pressures of online life previous generations were lucky not to have to deal with. Indeed, if this show gives us an accurate portrayal of what it means to become an adult in contemporary England – as I suspect it does – then I’m very, very glad my own growing up is well behind me.

That’s not to say the performance is in any way dour or austere; there are flashes of humour and warmth, for example, alongside the many moments that are challenging, uncomfortable even.

I’ve seen a raft of four-star reviews for this intensely theatrical production. It’s tempting to ring all of the critics in question, not so much to berate them for the harsh marking as to find out what shows they’ve seen that are better. There can’t be many.

You may not consider yourself to be a dance fan; you may even have been put off physical theatre for life by poor productions you’ve seen under that banner in the past. Whatever reservations you may have, trust me – if you can get tickets, go and see this show. It’s one you won’t forget.

A quick mention also for the venue – Home is a very welcoming and well-run arts hub with great transport links, warm, comfortable bars serving a variety of food and drink, exhibition spaces, a cinema, and a theatre. I hope to return soon.

From England With Love is currently on tour in the UK and Europe.