Review: Vollmond, Sadler’s Wells

Earth, water, love, and desire dramatically collide in Vollmond, returning to London after over a decade. The German title translates to ‘Full Moon’, and although you don’t exactly see one, you can sense a mythical presence throughout the performance just out of sight, over the horizon.

I’m aware its title might make Vollmond, from German company Tantztheater Wuppertal, sound dark, and the show is marketed as somehow dangerous, but honestly, it is more of a mischievous evening than anything remotely troubling. In fact, warm laughter fills the Sadler’s Wells auditorium more often than it has any right to. The exquisitely talented dancers metaphorically and sometimes literally wink at us as they perform. They talk, too! They tell us jokes. There are fleeting moments akin to stand-up and sketch comedy.  It’s as if the impish moon has cast a spell. Everything and anything is possible. 

However, as you’d expect for a piece of dance theatre, the most impactful moments don’t need words. Intricate, clever, and witty, it’s impossible not to be drawn into Pina Bausch’s choreography. There’s a reason the artist, who died in 2009, is still loved and revered throughout the dance world. Her work, long-celebrated, is destined to be performed for many years to come. It is the human foibles Bausch finds in movement that are irresistible. Men compete with other men to attract women. Women compete with each other to attract men. Couples, once formed, fail to communicate. Moments of intimacy are hard-won and easily lost. Frustrations boil over into moments of anger. Anger subsides to be replaced with hope. We laugh at each other. We annoy each other. We drink. Wine glasses do feature quite heavily. We overshare when we shouldn’t. We don’t share when we should. We lift each other, steer and carry each other, and occasionally drop each other. We run, jump, fall, fall again, and get up and go on and on. Remarkably, the dancers on the Sadler’s Wells stage make this all seem fun. They seem to be saying that we might as well enjoy it.  After all, we’re just humans stuck on a rock orbiting the sun in a meaningless universe. How ridiculous is that?  

This point is made explicit through Peter Pabst’s stunning set design, which is essentially a large boulder big enough for the cast to climb, stand on, hide behind, slither across, and jump from. Reminiscent of the tree in Waiting for Godot, Pabst’s rock remains spare, solid, stark and imposing. There is rain too. A lot of water falls from on high until a pool forms at the back of the stage to splash and swim through. Costumes, if anything, look more dramatic drenched. Hair sticks to heads. The floor gets slippy. It’s difficult to stand. It’s difficult to move. Despite the apparent struggles, there are moments when design and performance combine to create startlingly beautiful images. With a press ticket, I was very grateful for a stalls seat close to the action, but I suspect a broader view from the circle might have been more visually rewarding.  

Wherever you sit, there’s no denying Vollmond’s success. It is a captivating exploration of our endless, often chaotic pursuit of connection. Pina Bausch’s choreography brings yearning and frustration, intimacy and isolation sharply into focus. The dancers’ ability to switch between playful charm and emotional depth starts with humour but ends with aching vulnerability. Amidst the turmoil, countless breathtaking moments remind us that, despite our efforts to be understood, life remains a relentless cycle of hope and failure, hope and failure, again and again.  Rather than be disheartened, Bausch’s work finds joy in the human spirit’s refusal to surrender. It’s why her legacy will endure: she saw us as we are — flawed but determined and undeniably alive.

Choreography by: Pina Bausch
Set Design by: Peter Pabst
Costume Design by: Marion Cito
Tour Lighting Direction by: Fernando Jacon

Vollmond plays at Sadler’s Wells until 23 February.