Inala dance review: Energetic, unbridled joy
Inala’s dance troupe bring an infectious, buzzing energy but the blend of Zulu song and dance and Broadway-esque influences feels forced
South African song and dance gets the West End musical theatre treatment in this fusion show, where Zulu language-clicks merge with Elton John-style piano melodies. First premiered at EIF in 2014, Inala (meaning an abundance of goodwill) marked 20 years of South African democracy. The original version featured a hybrid of Zulu music with classical and contemporary soloists from the Royal Ballet and Rambert. This time it’s sung and danced by a smaller, Sowetan ensemble, and the western musical flourishes don’t feel as necessary.
Billed as moving storytelling about South Africa’s heritage but without subtitles for the lyrics (admittedly, this was a last-minute EIF programme change), the narrative’s real power is carried by the troupe’s buzzing, energetic dance moves. Knees lift, arms sway, hands shake joyfully as they rise upwards: the open palm trembling now better known as jazz hands has its roots in African dance.
The blend of modern and traditional music styles doesn’t always gel; Broadway style drum fills and showy melismas feel like a Disneyfication of the gorgeous, rhythmic music at its core. Where it really soars is the euphoric ululations, infectious conga drum patterns and treacly vocal harmonies. There is plenty to mesmerise here; even more so had it been the stripped-back, undiluted Zulu version.
Inala, reviewed at Lyceum Theatre; picture: Andrew Perry.