Review: MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE at the Peacock Theatre

Looking forward to it because Prince’s hip-hop inspired choreography is always thrilling and because Sting’s songs have been so present throughout my life that I love them like old friends. What I’ve never enjoyed though is his pomposity and claims of profundity in his lyrics. Would using them to make serious points about migration prove inspired or laughingly pretentious?

I feared the worse as the lights came up on sequence with a hippy-dippy African commune vibe. Sting’s songs have never screamed "life in the Savannah" to me. But do you know what? There is an ethereal shimmering-heat feel to them, especially as re-recorded by music supervisor Alex Lacamoire with new performances from Sting, and later in the show, by stars like Beverley Knight and Lynval Golding of the Specials.

The lighting at the start is also so sumptuous that you could almost sunbathe in it but, most importantly of all, the joy and the skill of the dancers is intoxicating. Then, as the feel-good celebration of family descends into darker territory I was surprised to find myself moved by the marrying of pop-hits I knew so well with the achingly beautiful dancing, both serving a gripping plot. Notably Sting’s hit SHAPE OF MY HEART inspires resonant choreography of passion, longing and uncertainty, the plaintive feel of ROXANNE works wonderfully well as a back drop to the heartache of a trafficked woman and even the nonsense lyrics of DE DO DO DO, DE DA DA DA find a home as reflection of refugee confusion amidst an alien language and culture.

But it’s the exhilarating choreography that is the star of the show, as meticulously executed by a superb dance troupe who maintain their individuality even on a crowded stage. Special mention must go to Natasha Gooden, Nafisah Baba, Lizzie Gough, Lukas McFarlane, Tommy Franzen and Samuel Baxter who contribute particularly memorable moments.

An unlikely success but a success none the less. Replace the backing tracks with live musicians and singers and it could be a five star hit with appeal way beyond the dance world.

Message in a Bottle