Figures in Extinction ★★★★★ Sadlers Wells | November 5 - 8, 2025


Performed by the exquisite Nederlands Dans Theatre, this brilliant production explores monumental existential questions. Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney have crafted an interconnected trilogy of meditations on existence and extinction. The first sequence confronts the loss of species and natural phenomena as our planet transforms under the pressure of climate change. The depiction of vanished life forms and global shifts is mesmerising. A monologue from a climate change denier, interpreted through a wonderfully loose and expressive performance to spoken word, adds both irony and poignancy. The second sequence reflects on humanity as a species defined by its intellect and suggests what might lead us toward our own extinction. Abstract ideas are translated into movement with remarkable clarity and emotional power, creating an experience that is deeply affecting. Figures in Extinction fearlessly engages with immense themes. As Crystal Pite notes in the programme, “We began with the desire to approach the climate crisis, but as we dug deeper, we felt it boiled down to separation (from the living world, the intuitive mind, and the dead).” The final sequence contemplates human mortality and the connection between the living and the dead. Set within a hospital, its depiction of dying is profoundly moving and its cataloguing of the stages of decay is graphic. However, what could be disturbing is transformed through the artistry of the staging and the virtuosity of the dancers. Ultimately, the sheer creative power of this shared experience leaves the audience in awe, evoking a renewed sense of connection in the face of the various depictions of separation. Nederlands Dans Theatre, Crystal Pite, Simon McBurney, and Complicité have produced an extraordinary work that is both intellectually compelling and meticulously realised.

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Rahi Rezvani

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4TN, UK

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