in-i a unique collaboration between Juilette Binoche and Akram Khan..what was entry pass critics verdict?

If you are not particularly interested in dance, then you might overlook the production of ‘in-i’ at the National’s Lyttleton Theatre. However with the experimental combination of masterful dancer/choreographer Akram Khan and Oscar award-winning actress Juliette Binoche, this is not simply dance, but a creative and exciting piece of theatre.

Co-directors and performers of the piece, Binoche and Khan explore the many-faceted theme of love as they entwine and embark on an emotional journey through their own relationships of the past. Their stories are conveyed through movement and speech - some live, some recorded - and this combination, with Binoche and Khan experts in their own fields, is at moments riveting. Khan sweeps and soars across the stage and Binoche delivers a heart-felt emotional performance with her feet literally off the ground. They also bravely break the walls of their comfort zones and step into unknown territories, but I’d rather have seen Khan perform another solo dance than a slightly shaky monologue. That said, when the two are together, the movement combined with passionate emotion is where the heart of the piece lies. Their relationship on stage is playful and charming, and they deliver very funny sequences such as missing a kiss with the clash of body parts and Khan having his head shoved down the toilet for repeatedly leaving the seat up.

All in all, ‘in-i’ is bold, fresh and expressive. The smears of sweat left on the colour-changing wall demonstrate the sheer amount of energy exuding from these two performers, and this alone will keep you gripped for the 70 minute long performance. The experiment certainly evoked sparks from Khan and Binoche; go and see if they light up your eyes!

Sita Thomas