A tale for and of today, British Theatre Guide has reviewed Message In A Bottle three times: in 2020, 2021, and in July this year. It is extremely popular, whether it be for Sting’s re-recorded songs or for Kate Prince’s hip hop choreography and ZooNation’s enthusiastic dancers. There’s nothing not to like and it gets a standing ovation tonight, every night I expect.
It has been touring the UK and is about to head off to “24 cities across seven countries”. Next up is Sydney in late October, the Netherlands in November / December, North America February–May 2024. And for those few who haven’t seen it live, there will be a chance to see it on a big screen 30 May and 2 June 2024.
A tragic tale with hope is told with uplifting style. A civil war, a happy family rent asunder, parents dead, girls abducted by men in black and later found drugged and working in a brothel. A perilous sea journey, not enough life belts for all, barbed wire enclosed detention centre which feels more a prison than a place of safe haven. Bribery, corruption, welcome to the real world of today. “How fragile we are…”
Loss, longing, but also human resilience—it is about the boat people refugee crisis that is as old as the hills and the waves they have to cross. Time seems to be running out, as the large sand timer hanging over them spills out. These asylum seekers may be from the African and Middle Eastern diaspora, but now we also have refugees from the war in Ukraine. And so it continues—the daily news unbearable.
To see it expressed in body language is visceral and emotional. Hip hop and contemporary musical theatre to better Les Misérables and the like—misery turned into courage and compassion with a volatile narrative extracted from a long catalogue of Sting songs by dramaturg Lolita Chakrabarti.
From the peaceful “Desert Rose”, through “Fields of God” (reprised later) to “Every Breath You Take”, and “Message in a Bottle”, the first half (thirteen songs) is poignant and painfully subdued, bursts of death-defying dance a fingers-up to the evil greed of the dominant.
The second half (fifteen songs) is more dynamic: the pace picks up, urgency and survival the driving force. And love. Three siblings have been split by ugly circumstance—their stories are resolved, and, as chance would have it, the husband finds his wife. Their duet is wonderful, moving, tender, and the best in the show.
We do love a happy end, though it is not a happy one for many. Grief and hardship mixed with fond memories and optimism for the future plays with our empathies. Isn’t that what theatre is for—a communal get together and a retort to the autocrats and dictators of the world who would silence it. The dead join in the dance at the end—we are one. If only.
“If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free”, “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”, “The Empty Chair” speak for themselves; “Englishman in New York” speaks of being an alien in a foreign land, “Roxanne” is set in the red light district. The final song “They Dance Alone” speaks of us all.
The creative team is stellar. Music supervisor Alex Lacamoire, set designer Ben Stones (a multipurpose cube centre-stage), costumes by Anna Fleischle, explosive sound design by David McEwan, but it’s Natasha Chivers's lighting and video designer Andrzej Goulding’s stunning back projections which are the dramatic underpinning—shadows, black rain, almost a graphic novel.
The cohort of thirteen dancers, many doubling roles, is dedicated and full of bursting the wall energy. They are a team. Nafisah Baba stands out in her role of the prostituted wife. Oliver Andrews, Daniella May, Deavion Brown, and Nestor Garcia Gonzales with his powerful breakdancing, bring individuality, acting skills and athleticism to a mixed audience—there are children, families and I even spot a BBC newsreader...