Created by Natasha Gilmore and Robert Alan Evans

Choreography by Natasha Gilmore

In myth, the scorching heat of the sun has melted the wax wings of determined Greek heroes; she is pursued by the wolf Sköll of Norse stories; and even shot by more than a few of Hou Yi’s arrows.

It’s the centre of our universe: our life-bringer and eventual consumer.

But the intensity of the sun and its heating of the polluted mess of our oceans merge in Barrowland Ballet’s re-imaging of the classic Greek myth by a young dancer, aided by two members of a Grecian chorus, who is equally horrified and transfixed by the fable of Icarus, the boy who flew Too Close To The Sun.

As the lapping waves, strewn and fettered with debris, collapse on the shores of their island – our protagonist seeks to find an escape from the world. Fascinated by the tale of Icarus and seeking to utilise the very trash washing up on the shore to craft a pair of wings and escape. She fails, she persists, but like our collective ambitions to solve the world’s climate crisis – a setback isn’t going to stop them.

Eventually soaring to a marvellous composition by Davey Anderson, Molly Danter communicates an agony in their despair at the state of the oceans and their desperation to flee – it’s not only visible in their physicality and choreography but in the facial expression and silent wails as they give a sense of dread to their character. Providing a necessary levity, dancers Ilona Gumowska and Charlotte McLean take to the Greek Chorus with whimsy and thirst for drama, contorting into the fates of destiny in this production, their presence always there in aid of Danter.

Scaling the central peak of one of three pricked towers designed by Fred Pommereh, the audience sits in awe as they are led in a precise performance of sharp movements and feats. The trio are cast in Alberto Santos Bellido’s effective lighting, which enhances the scale of the production, and offers a focal point for Natasha Gilmore’s (with input from the three dancers) dynamic choreography to work alongside Jamie Wardrop’s video projection to simultaneously tell stories of the past, the present, and even elements of the future.

There’s a nuanced depth to the productions allegory and even visuals which may tip-toe over the heads of some younger audiences, but the therapeutic nature of seeking solace and security in others and the importance of expression is a universal language – similar to the powerful physicality which once again demonstrates the inclusive and bridging talents of Barrowland Ballet. Too Close to the Sun encourages us to fly, to utilise the endless possibilities of imagination to view the world from afar, to find solutions to the problems we face, and the sheer determination we have in our potential.