Theatre of Dreams is the latest creation of Hofesh Schechter, the Israeli-born German choreographer, dancer, and composer. Having premiered in Paris in 2024, this piece showcases what Schechter’s exceptional work is known for: it is artistic, exuberant, energetic, intense, and brooding. The Hofesh Schechter Company recently choreographed and composed the music for Oedipus at the Old Vic, and it was impossible not to be impressed by the sheer power of the dance sections, which punctuated that play. They outclassed and overshadowed the acting and lifted the performance to another level.
At Sadler’s Wells, the audience waits patiently for the show to begin as a single man climbs onto the stage and crawls into a gap in the opening of a large black curtain, accompanied by a gentle rumbling soundscape. Where is he going? Down a rabbit hole into a fantastical wonderland, perhaps? The answer is probably whatever you believe it to be, but one thing is for certain: the next ninety minutes will take you into a new world that will bombard you with sensation.
A foray into the unknown is never easy, but the show is mesmerising. At times uneasy, the international cast of hugely talented young dancers prod and poke at your deepest emotions, combining physical movement, performance and dance into a unique series of encounters.
For the first thirty minutes, the cast uses black curtains pulled back and forth across the stage to give us glimpses into strange dreams and unsettling tableaus. Dramatically lit by Tom Visser with moody blue and the occasional blast of red, we wonder what is going to happen next. The transitions between sections are achieved with a wonderful slickness. The curtains barely have time to flick across the stage, yet each reveal is achieved seamlessly. Solo performances, small groups, or the full ensemble appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.
There is a slightly voyeuristic quality here, as if getting a brief glimpse through an open window, especially when the dancers are in stages of undress or their bodies are writhing and frenzied. It’s rather like playing peekaboo or witnessing a Soho peep show.
Half an hour in, there’s a change of pace when one of the dancers picks up a mic and says, “Welcome to your Theatre of Dreams”. The haunting song “I Remember” by Molly Drake takes us on another, slightly softer part of the journey before a multi-talented, red-suited, three-piece band appears on stage. The musicians, Yaron Engler, Sabio Janiak, and James Keane, are amazing, playing everything from thudding techno beats to bossa nova. They appear on and off for the rest of the show, and the music energises the performance. As the breathless action continues, the music builds, the tension grows, and it becomes a kind of party in a relentless, unforgettable way, at one point interacting with the audience.
We witness all the emotions in the physical nocturnal images presented to us – aggression, frenzy, hope, love, despair, exhaustion and it’s slightly disturbing.
In the series of frenetic vignettes that make up this piece, we witness aggression, frenzy, hope, love, despair, and exhaustion. It can be slightly disturbing, but it is never boring. The piece is very much at its best when filling the vast, widescreen stage of Sadler’s Wells, which doesn’t happen enough. I was also disappointed that the performers rarely came to the very front of the stage. But this is a minor gripe.
Everyone will interpret the Theatre of Dreams their own way, and I doubt two people will have the same thoughts. This is what makes it so magical. Did you have a dream or a nightmare? Only by experiencing this show will you have the answer, and if you can’t puzzle it out, simply let yourself be dazzled by the talent, stamina and spectacle of these incredible dancers.
Review by Fiona Gilbert
This critically acclaimed hit show will showcase the physicality and complexity of Hofesh Shechter’s choreography and his inimitable dancers, as they take the audience on a wild headfirst dive into the theatre of dreams.
Through Hofesh’s ever-unfolding choreography, the show delves deep into the world of fantasy and the subconscious, revealing fears, hopes, desires and myriad emotions that penetrates not only the dreaming mind but also our waking thoughts.
Choreography and Music: Hofesh Shechter
Lighting Design:Tom Visser
Costume Design: Osnat Kelner
Associate Artistic Director: Bruno Guillore
Music Collaborator: Yaron Engler
Set Collaborator: Niall Black
Performed by Hofesh Shechter Company
THEATRE OF DREAMS
Sadler’s Wells Theatre
15 to 18 October 2025
