Review: THE WEDDING, Gecko - Sadler’s Wells East
Photo credit: Malachy Luckie
The Wedding returns in a stripped-back restaging from Gecko, created and directed by Artistic Director Amit Lahav, and markedly leaner than its previous incarnation. Whether this shift is a purely artistic decision or a response to the increasingly challenging theatre landscape we now inhabit, as Lahav discusses in the director’s notes, it feels undeniably timely. What remains is an exposed ensemble and a work attempting to meet its audience more directly.
The conceptual roots of The Wedding remain strong. Emerging from Gecko’s response to an increasingly dystopian world, the piece frames marriage as a forced contract, socially and politically imposed, marking a point of no return from childhood into adulthood. This metaphor continues to resonate since its creation, particularly given the work’s origins during the build-up to Brexit. As a surreal exploration of collective entrapment, it feels current.
Choreographically, there is comfort in recognisable patterns true to Gecko. Movement frequently lands squarely on the beat; global musical influences are satisfying and immediately legible, particularly for audiences encountering the company’s work for the first time. However, this predictability becomes part of the limitation. Emotionally, the piece struggles to move beyond its own conventions. Everything sits tightly within a known vocabulary, making it difficult for moments to breathe, linger or resonate fully. When imagery is allowed to suspend, when a gesture spins out beyond expectation, the work opens up. These are the moments that stay.
Moments that stand out include the clowning elements and a clever use of the arguably overused motif of the suitcase. Brief comedic moments of direct repartee with the audience offer welcome interruptions, holding something more human than some of the larger dance sequences. Likewise, darker, more violent passages push the work into more compelling territory, even if not sustained. The closing percussive sequence, without giving too much away, built through claps and stomps, lands with visceral force.
Narrative clarity remains elusive. Performers speak in multiple languages, not to be understood literally but to fill the space with sound and urgency, a deliberate choice. Yet the choreography itself struggles to carry the story with precision throughout. While the ensemble attacks the material with stamina, commitment and undeniable passion, the through-line is hard to follow, and the work’s conceptual ambition occasionally outpaces its choreographic articulation. Still, the piece operates on a subconscious level: effective, immersive and, at times, quietly mesmerising.
Where The Wedding excels most consistently is in its sound world. Jon Everett’s sound design, alongside original music by Dave Price and an exceptional ensemble of musicians and vocalists, is sophisticated, detailed and emotionally textured. There is something nostalgic and deeply felt here. Rhys Jarman’s set and costume design, paired with Joe Hornsby’s lighting, supports the stripped-back aesthetic, keeping the performers exposed and the imagery direct.
The devising performers Mario Garcia Patrón Alvarez, Lucia Chocarro, Madeleine Fairminer, Vanessa Guevara Flores, Ryen Perkins-Gangnes, Saju Hari, Wai Shan Vivian Luk, Miguel Torres Umba and Dan Watson are formidable throughout: physically precise, relentless in their energy, and clearly invested in the material they are carrying.
Gecko remain a vital force within UK theatre. Under Lahav’s leadership, the company continues to make physical theatre visible on larger stages, creating space for non-traditional work and energising new audiences. Their contribution to sustaining movement-led practice is significant. At the same time, this revival raises questions about the future of the form. The reliance on expected crowd-pleasers feels increasingly apparent, and there is a sense that the field itself is ready for new companies to step forward and disrupt the established language, although Gecko will undoubtedly always hold a strong place in the scene.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Stephanie Osztreicher
Gecko’s The Wedding plays at Sadler’s Wells East until 24 January, with further info here.
