Pure South African gold

FRINGE DANCE Gumboots PalladiumUntil August 30

HHHH Every year there are a few shows that blow into town on a wave of publicity and hype, set to win audiences and awards or sink without trace in the fickle Festival world. Gumboots comes with high expectations fuelled by the fact it has the same designer as the Aussie triumph Tap Dogs, which went on to colossal international touring. The shows are not dissimilar in format, but this South African angle on heavy-footed men dancing is the stronger for its diversity, sincerity and sheer skill.

The 12 performers are, in the best tradition of African entertainers, multi-talented dancers, singers and actors. The unison of the dance alone would make a good show, but when the same men who are vibrantly slapping their wellies can also sing heart-stopping African harmonies, the atmosphere becomes truly powerful.

In an hour and a quarter of short episodes, the cast take us through comedy, drama and emotion - a mixture that ensures the attention never wanders. Clad in boots, workmen's trousers and bandanas, the dancers parade their individual talents - but more importantly share their personalities with us - accompanied by either traditional or contemporary music.

These boys are serious dancers, but they haven't forgotten how to laugh at themselves, as the I'm Too Sexy For My Boots number proves. Any macho posturing is strictly tongue in cheek; this is no collection of gym-pumped bodies but a band of lean and languid guys who know that this blend of song and dance is art born out of the oppression of the South African mines of the 19th century. Unlike their ancestors, these gumboot dancers are allowed to speak while they work, but the communication still has a huge physical impact.

The set is clever and compact, transforming into a minehead with unobtrusive ease and providing a platform for multi-level movement accentuated by strong lighting. Happily, Gumboots is not an over- amplified show: the singing and instrumentals are clearly audible alongside the infectious cacophony of pairs of boots moving together in astounding rhythm.

It's a flirtatious, jokey whirlwind of sound and movement, with moments when the pace suddenly shifts and you're left with the raw beauty of a celebration of life and energy. South Africa's exports have diversified in recent years, but with Gumboots it is clear that there are still plenty of nuggets of gold to come.

Don Morris

Copyright 1999
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