A Call to Connection at the Edinburgh International Festival
In the open quadrangle of Old College Quad, Dance People is performed in an unexpected performance space. A simple red ribbon separates performers and watchers, with no seating—merely open air and stone environment. Physical openness is a prelude to the questions of the evening about connection, community, and shared humanity.
The play begins with an evocative stage with projected messages: “Who are you? “, “Are we alone? “, “We have so many people with us… people we’ve seen on the bus, who walk alongside us, but whom we’ve never noticed.” At one point, the audience is invited to turn around and actually notice the people around them—a simple yet powerful gesture.
The barrier is then literally broken with the ribbon cut, representing oneness and breaking the space between “us” and “them.”.
Directed by Lebanese artist Omar Rajeh, the piece seethes with shared energy. Staging is shuffled around the quad, creating fluctuating spaces for action. Text on screen orbits the performance as a description of a world made up of disjointed people, who have no idea how much they can achieve together. Narration by Abdul Karim Chaar lends warmth and gravity to the vision.
At its essence, the work is a statement on helplessness felt by ordinary people in the face of world crises, but as a call for transformation from passive observers to active agents. The observers are not just passively observing but are, in fact, invited into the performers’ realm, as part of the art statement. The solidarity that it provokes is real, and its message—the appreciation of the team players around us—is moving and reflective.
All the same, I feel the production at times feels overloaded, its ideas meandering and diffuse.. While as much as there is strength in its purpose, so much blurring of thematics risks diluting its intelligibility. Still, Dance People is a socially conscious work that compels the observer to replay his/her place in the crowd.
Reviewer: Saira Kunjuvalappil (Saira ks)
Reviewed: 9th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: