Bacchae: Prelude to a Purge (2017) by Cape Verde-born choreographer and designer Marlene Monteiro Freitas was acknowledged by the government of Cape Verde as a major cultural achievement. Presented here as part of 2024’s London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT), this marks the UK premiere of Freitas’ exciting and disturbing dance piece.

Loosely based on Euripides’ Bacchae (405 BC) — which famously ends with King Pentheus of Thebes being torn apart by women — the piece seems very comfortable with the more menacing elements of the bacchanal. Performers manage to radiate terror even as they are clowning; they dance as punishment just as much as with joy. The audience’s laughter is undercut from one moment to the next, creating a profound sense of unease.

The set and props are minimal, but used with astonishing breadth and creativity. Music stands litter the stage, standing in for bicycles, crutches, umbrellas, VR headsets, rifles and a thousand other things. In this, as in many other areas, the clowning is extraordinary. It is also almost militaristically synchronised with the music, which is largely performed onstage by the roving horn section, and by the dancers themselves. Set pieces are interspersed by the sound of sirens, adding to the sense of discomfort which pervades the show.

There’s no denying that there are times when this comfort with discomfort becomes challenging for the audience. The use of piercing whistles and jarringly discordant music becomes almost painful at times; and the grainy footage of a real childbirth, screened in full while the performers watch on in silence, is no picnic. For some, it’s unwatchable, and there are a few walk-outs during the show’s two-hour runtime (no interval). But for those who stick it out, this is a profound and memorable performance – if not always an easy one.

Presented 18 – 19 June 2024 as part of LIFT 2024.