Fuerzabruta

Fuerzabruta is to theatre what juggernaut is to hedgehog. A fiercely kinetic mix of dance, music, and lighting fused together by some stunningly technical staging it pummels every other show currently in London into distant mediocrity. If you have even the vaguest interest in the idea of an entertaining night out, then go see Fuerzabruta.

The creative forces behind the show are Diqui James, Gaby Kerpel and Alejandro Garcia, whose previous show under their De La Guarda banner was enormously successful, and featured the same sharply technical, acrobatic, and supersensual presentation style they continue with Fuerzabruta .

While in London the show has staked out the amazing Roundhouse, a versatile north London venue. Within its round performance space, the show's attractive and limber cast swing, run, leap and slide at the audience from every angle. The norm in theatre is for the show to be presented to the audience, with some of the more daring shows making forays out into the auditorium to interact with the punters. Fuerzabruta takes this old convention and knees it in the goolies before running off with its wallet. The show takes place amongst the young and hip crowd. There are no seats. You stand wherever you please, and the Roundhouse's staff moves you around vigorously to make room for the multi-pronged attack of the Fuerzabruta cast. From the opening scene of a man in a suit at head height running at full tilt in the midst of the crowd, to the rolling, leaping players suspended horizontally on a heavy screen drawn around the edge of the floor, the show plays to the strength of being in a round theatre.

Fuerzabruta is Spanish for "brute force" and other reviews have described it as an assault on the senses, which it very much is. Anyone familiar with the inner workings of London's dance music clubs will immediately synch with the vibe (and the soundtrack) of the performance. The intended effect is one of immersive, interactive spectacle, stripped from any kind of need to form a cohesive narrative. This is definitely a sermon delivered from the church of style over substance. And by god, does it work! The show is relatively short, which keeps it tight and focused. Too much of this level of sensory input could easily get fatiguing. As it is, the tempo is kept high throughout, with a few brief interludes of calm. The pace is most obviously set by the storming soundtrack, which is an original work that sounds like a folksy latin-sprinkled hybrid of Daft Punk and Harry "Choo Choo" Romero. And there's not a lot of stage shows in town where the DJ turns the tunes up and the lights down after the curtain calls, leaving the floor to the crowd.

The star of the night, however, is neither a performer nor a DJ, but a vast transparent tank that emerges from above the crowd. Within it the scantily clad bodies of Fuerzabruta slide, splash and writhe directly above your head. As the piece progresses the tank descends, until it is ultimately within arms reach. The music swells, the lights pulse, and a thousand hands simultaneously rise from the audience to touch this piece of theatrical magic. Within the intimate space formed beneath this amazing piece of staging the audience truly becomes fused with the spectacle itself. Like the rest of Fuerzabruta's many surprises, this is a novel experience that will stay with you forever.

The show only runs until the 31 Aug. Spork has definitely jumped on the Fuerzabruta bandwagon late. This article will join a long list of reviews amping the show in gushing terms. However, you have to see the show before you can describe it. Many of the reviews I've seen have lost their way by attempting to describe themes and dubious narratives supposedly divined from the mayhem by their canny reviewers. I can reassure you that this is all a load of codswallop. Fuerzabruta isn't about anything at all; it's just the best damn piece of entertainment going in London right now. Put on your funky trainers and get your arse down to the Roundhouse as soon as you can.

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