Drift + NQR @ Zoo Southside

It seems churlish to quibble about a show performed with the gusto and skill that Scottish Dance Theatre manage with NQR + Drift. But churl I will.

The title NQR itself is characteristic of my quibble. Any punter in the street glancing at the poster would just see a jumble of letters. What’s NQR when it’s at home? In fact, when you read the microscopic lettering of the programme you find it means ‘Not Quite Right’ – now that I can engage with. A brilliant title, it’s just a shame it’s been turned into a cryptography exercise.

Now, this isn’t a suggestion that dance pieces should be founded on narrative, or (god forbid) organised around a thesis to make it easy for critics to write reviews, but it is indicative of a lack of engagement that seems to exist between the two pieces and the audience.

This is a real shame as the level of performance is of the high standard you quickly come to expect with SDT – precise, energetic dance (especially the blisteringly physical Drift) and top class acting (and effortless ability to deliver jokes) displayed in NQR.

Drift is a short duet that tumbles across the stage with speed and energy – even violence – with unexpected moves that generate a sense of a complex relationship of danger and trust between the dancers.

NQR is a complex ensemble piece executed by the cast with a highly disciplined performance. The set is simple, if somewhat cold – consisting of glowing white boxes which the dancers constantly re-arrange to suggest settings or for use in movement.

The piece itself is themed around ‘Not Quite Right’: the differences between people, the group identities that we reduce people to, and the expectations that individuals may – or fail to – meet. The piece is full of humour and verbal and visual jokes - some of them very funny – and a standout section for me, was a touchingly humorous love duet.

Yet ultimately neither piece catches light emotionally and grips the heart. It’s a bit like watching a very expensive car drive by – it’s the result of years of development and a brilliant machine for doing what is does, but unfortunately the driver is too busy thinking about his own affairs to notice the people on the kerbside.