Inspired by sitcoms from the 90s and 2000s, DONUTS is a contemporary dance show about the bond between three friends and the struggles in their friendship that they have to overcome.
The quality of the dancing is good, with varied choreography. So varied that I struggle to see how they remember everything. An hour of dancing that showcases a multitude of styles, without any breaks is a true testament to the effectiveness of rigid choreography.
The music in this production maintains differences to suit the given mood whilst keeping a theme throughout. The variety of instruments used stays relatively similar, and although the different musical scores are well-produced, there are a few instances where the music does not quite suit the tone of the dance. Also, a lot of points in the show feature music that is slightly too harsh, it’s supposed to be harsh to suit the dramatics of the dance they are performing at the time, but there are times which the shrillness of it begins to get too uncomfortable to be the deliberate uncomfortability they are trying to create.
DONUTS” is a well-produced piece of physical theatre, with a couple of lightly funny moments peppered in. The quality of the performance is very good, the dance trio always stayed in time and followed each other’s movements to the letter. However, the actual story does not feel intense enough to merit the level of seriousness in the music and the routines. This can make parts of the show slightly mismatched, as the tone does not match up with the performance. But overall, the show is well-crafted, the level of talent on display is highly impressive and the acting displayed through the dance routines is also up to a good standard.
