Review: F*CKING FUTURE at Sadler’s Wells East

The dancers are ghosts who died in the 20th century, in a world which was at war. They were people who did not fit into the mould that society carved for them. They come to the future because they see something more accepting of them or something that they resonate with, and they are chasing these notions and experiences. Upon arrival in the future, they discover that although they fit into it in some ways, there are new ideas and trends that don’t live up to the expectations of what a newer, freer world should look like. The ghosts’ conflicted minds are reflected in the choreography, often moving between extremes of soft and sharp movements and the rigidity of military-style marching versus their fluid and liberated movements in the future. It’s a deeply political performance that echoes the changing culture and ideas that we are facing in the world today.

The theatre has 4 separate seating arrangements with the stage set in the middle, and the choreography revolves around this. The show is performed to all 4 sides, meaning that every seat is the focus of the performance. The dance explores how people can experience the same events or emotions in different ways, and this is reflected in the staging – each member of the audience, depending on where you were sitting, has a unique experience of the same show.

The performance is immersive for the audience. Having the opportunity to be so close to the dancers makes for a mesmerising show, and the audience even becomes part of the dancers’ journeys towards the end of the dance. Each choice is deliberate and meaningful, whether that be music, lighting, costume, or movement and it creates a deep appreciation for the imagination and work that has gone into the production of F*cking Future.

F*cking Future is an impactful and fascinating interpretation of how we forge our own identities in the world. It’s a must-see for contemporary dance lovers who are on the lookout for a show that is unique and striking. F*cking Future challenges the status quo politically and artistically and will leave your mind pondering on the past, the present, and the future, and about where you fit within it all.