...through the medium of contemporary dance

Three tatty, bearded Open University professors circa 1978 present the history of the universe through the medium of contemporary dance.

Though a secular story, God is played by the disembodied voice of Professor Brian Cox.

Whilst Cox speaks his best lines from the 2011 BBC TV epic Wonders of the Universe, there is much thrusting, boinging and wibbling as three male dancers condense 13.8 billion years of cosmology, geology and evolution into just over 20 minutes.

There’s slapstick and schoolyard humour galore. When two of the dancers are left convulsing - as if tasered - after the Big Bang hits, a quick bop on the head soon sorts them out, making one slump comically to the floor.

As Cox earnestly speaks the killer line: “We’ve seen stars born, we’ve seen stars die”, the lifeless form of dancer Gwyn Emberton is dragged unceremoniously across the floor.

We witness life hauling itself, squelching and slopping, onto the land, with many pairs of celebratory external gills flapping wildly in the prehistoric breeze.

It’s funny and definitely family friendly, but behind the humour are three dancers with serious pedigrees. Polish-born Karol Cysewski choreographs and also dances in the piece. Now based with his young family in Cardiff, Karol left the National Dance Company of Wales in 2012 after seven years to concentrate on creating his own work. He is joined by Welsh dancer Gwyn Emberton, an associate artist at Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Drew Hawkins, a young dancer who has risen through the ranks of Sylvia Young and The Brit School.

Wonders of the Universe returns to Edinburgh Fringe for a 15 show run after a much praised one-off performance at Dance Base during the 2013 Festival.

Find us on twitter @ and # "wondersedfringe"

Wonders of the Universe by Karol Cysewski at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

bit.ly/wondersedfringe 

1–17 Aug, 2pm (no performances 4, 11)

Dance Base, 14-16 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JU

Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions)

T: 0131 225 5525

Choreography: Karol Cysewski

Dancers: Gwyn Emberton, Andrew Hawkins and Karol Cysewski

Music: Sion Orgon

Costume design: Neil Davies

Lighting design: John Collinswood

Producer: Laura H Drane

Funder: Arts Council of Wales www.walesinedinburgh.org.uk ;

With thanks to Chapter and NDCW for rehearsal space to support this run of the production. 

 

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