We Should Never Have Walked On The Moon is an exciting immersive event by Rambert and (LA)HORDE Ballet national de Marseille.
Between 3rd and 6th September these two sensational dance companies are running a complete takeover of the Royal Festival and Queen Elizabeth Halls, opening access to private spaces in these buildings as well as the more familiar, public ones.
“We should have never walked on the moon” is a comment that Hollywood star Gene Kelly is reported to have made to astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The mission statement for the takeover event describes an intention to explore the role of the body in contemporary culture, with tech and American influences having become a primary influence. Also, to explore the relationship between dance and cinema. That this theme appears to go missing doesn’t matter a jot. The innovation, spontaneity and range of performances and experiences in what are at times surprising and special locations requires no justification.
There’s so much to see within the three-hour performance period. It will be impossible to see everything. Great moments will inevitably be missed. Some performances suddenly break out among those passing through at the time. A map showing the location and timings of a number of performances and films is provided, but it’s pretty hard to follow. Instead, you might prefer to discover by wandering. Helpful attendants are posted to assist. The takeover begins for all ticket holders in the Royal Festival Hall, but it is vital not to miss what’s going on in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, where some of the best events take place.
The way the takeover unfolds, with some events taking place, for example, in the seated main hall of the Queen Elizabeth Hall with its sophisticated lighting, while others require their audience to stand (or sit on the floor) does bring reflection on the influence of such factors. Whether the latter may mean judgement can be reached too fast.
High points include being allowed to sit on the stage of the Royal Festival Hall, looking out across the auditorium. That is another of those events that requires a bit of time to reveal itself as what’s performed there is not just the film on repeat. The LA HORDE film, Ghosts, also on repeat in the Purcell Room, gorgeously describes by way of dance a transference of joy and energy to a bored security guard working in an art gallery. Concerto, choreographed by Lucinda Childs, performed a number of times in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, is another not to miss.
Haze is used, there’s a DJ in the Clore Ballroom, there is some nudity (in the rooftop space performance in the Royal Festival Hall), and age advice is 15+.
We Should Never Have Walked On The Moon is fun, it is exciting. It’s not necessary to like every piece; you can move on when you’re finished. There will then be something else to discover and enjoy, set always against the Southbank Centre’s fabulous views across the Thames from the City to Westminster. What a treat.
Review by Marian Kennedy
Roam around our public and hidden spaces at your own pace to discover a cast of 80 artists performing in unexpected locations: in the Royal Festival Hall auditorium stalls while you watch from the stage, in backstage areas in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and on our outdoor terraces.
The show transforms our site with cinematic flair, with performances featuring dancers from both companies, DJs, digital works, a limousine and community performers.
‘We should have never walked on the moon’ is a comment that Hollywood star Gene Kelly is reported to have made to astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
This ambitious project explores the role of the body in a post-internet age of endless information and communication, dominated by mainstream US culture, and the relationship between dance and cinema.
WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE WALKED ON THE MOON
Southbank Centre
3 to 6 September 2025
