Kismet – Festival Theatre

Kismet means destiny or fate and this premiere of two works, the brand new Gallery of Consequence (Dutch choreographer and director, Emma Evelein) and B.R.I.S.A. (Johan Inger – first performed in 2014 by NDT2) present a thought-provoking and intriguing set. The cacophonous movements portrayed personal insecurities and discomfort alongside our outer masks, our human ingenuity and our propensity to gather tribally.

Each set offers a robust, confident and energetic take on modern life within our engineered world. Are we fated to exist overshadowed by computer screens and to find the carpets upon which we walk consume us? It’s clever.

The creative team for Gallery of Consequence knocks it out of the park. AMIANGELICA’s visuals are key aspects of the narrative as is the lighting (Ryan Joseph Staord) and Susan Bender Whitfield’s styling.

And, yes, the sixteen dancers are outstanding. 

As you would expect with Rambert, it was busy, complex and superbly executed.  B.R.I.S.A. is fun, yet there is more in the tank. It requires a tweak – a final coating of lustrous abandon and joy. One male dancer nailed it as he grinned his way through a sequence, his tee-shirt flapping in twirls of sunny, joyous team-spirited abandon. His face shone with delight, and he seemed to make eye contact and connect with his fellow dancers as he rotated. His inner world was enchanting in that moment.

There is scope for this piece to be a blinder as it blossoms in wit and joy.

You can catch it until 5th July at The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh. 

Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield

Reviewed: 3rd July 2025

North West End UK Rating: