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La Loba

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Beautiful exploration of mythology to conjure up the inner wild woman at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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La Loba

Beautiful exploration of mythology to conjure up the inner wild woman at the Edinburgh Fringe

Lenka Vagnerová’s La Loba would be a wild, beguiling journey into a deep, dark fairytale forest even without the added spark of its two sensational performers. With them it becomes a thrilling joyride through perceptions of femininity, strength and what it means to create life out of bones.

Andrea Opavská, bent-backed and squint-eyed, travels the bare landscape of the stage before encountering her match in the voice of Jana Vébrová. The following showdown between them is spectacular: Opavská squares up to Vébrová’s snarling wolf-sound vocals with her own ferocious muscularity before flying into a solo of feral leaps, spinning Catherine wheels out of flax that seems to drip sparks.

The tone softens and settles later, to toy with images of regeneration. Opavská brings out bones like a pedlar selling wares. The relationship between the two women grows mischievous – though those unsettling snarls are still never far away – and the loose-limbed climax from Opavská is haunting.

Vagnerová has an eye for a scene, and her admitted love of mythology pays off in the way her images tickle at things you feel you recognise deep inside. Those images, combined with Opavská and the soundscape of Vébrová’s voice make La Loba impossible to forget.

Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 25 Aug (not 18), 5pm, £10 (£8).

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