Review by Dominic Corr
Redefining the boundaries of contemporary performance requires an absolute dismantling of physical gatekeeping, a radical philosophy that Barrowland Ballet’s groundbreaking Wolf Pack has championed for a full ten years. Arriving at Edinburgh’s The Studio for its milestone anniversary celebration, this unique collective—boasting a staggering seventy-three-year age span from seven to over eighty—transforms the stage into a living, breathing microcosm of humanity. Led by Artistic Director Natasha Gilmore through a free, non-audition framework, the company bypasses traditional technical polish in favour of something far more vital: an unfiltered, deeply egalitarian celebration of what it means to occupy space and be truly seen.
This anniversary showcase unfolds as an eclectic triple bill of live works – Like Blood, See Me, and HA HA HA – interspersed with cinematic interludes that capture the ensemble’s decade-long evolution. Because the choreography is organically shaped around the performers rather than forced onto them, the evening occasionally grapples with episodic friction; the tonal leaps between clinical social critique and buoyant communal play can occasionally feel abrupt, testing the narrative cohesion of the programme. Yet, this very lack of slick uniformity becomes its greatest asset. In Like Blood, repeated sonic pulses evoke a literal human heartbeat while spoken testimonies explore lineage and emotional vulnerability, while HA HA HA juxtaposes absurd theatrical laughter with stark melancholy, allowing diverse bodies to speak with unvarnished clarity.
Visually, each vignette establishes its own distinct atmospheric language—shifting from the deep, visceral crimsons of Like Blood to the clinical whites and blues of See Me. The integration of archival and newly captured dance films—such as the woodland-stalking Wolf and the pandemic-born And I’ll Huff—further expands the troupe’s textural vocabulary, moving fluidly from expansive natural landscapes to claustrophobic industrial isolation. Live hosting by members like Isaac Convey, whose journey from a young boy in early archival footage to a striking teenage performer mirrors the company’s maturation, imbues the evening with profound emotional weight. It is a living testament to long-term community nurturing, where strangers are forged into a tightly bonded ensemble growing side by side.
As the house lights return to warm the Edinburgh auditorium, Wolf Pack leaves behind an indelible reminder that movement belongs to everyone, not just the professionally privileged. It is an imperfect, occasionally uneven theatrical journey that more than compensates for its structural rough edges with an explosion of unbridled, communal joy—proving that when judgement is stripped away, dance becomes the purest language of human connection.
A Reminder That Movement Belongs to Everyone
Barowland Ballet: Wolf Pack was performed at The Studio Theatre, Edinburgh
Running time: Seventy-five minutes without interval
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor of Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected outlets such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
