Words: Charlotte Louise
4 Stars
A spectacular ode to Kate and her fans, An Evening Without Kate Bush oscillates between whimsy and sparkling polish with the gamut of Kate’s four-octave range. The frolics of the interactive evening are punctuated by some very moving moments; every time Sarah-Louise broke into a Kate Bush number. Her feathery but powerful dancing grew branches all over the stage, enrapturing the audience and embodying the spirit of what it feels like to be in the grasp of Kate Bush’s music.
Sarah-Louise has been a fan of Kate Bush since she was 13, which is why the show feels so authentic. The show shares the essence of a teenager, listening to the same CD over and over. Sarah-Louise taps into a kind of fandom that isn’t about celebrity but completely celebrates the craft of an artist we really didn’t know a lot about. The little excerpts from fans, which we witness in various mediums, reckon with a nostalgia for the sincerity of 90s and 00s fan communities in forums and Tumblr.
Sarah-Louise Young deploys props in such an unexpected way, the fearless energy of the show is intensified by the anticipation of her next concept – not a cliché in sight. She doesn’t neglect any elements of production and it’s all in the details – costume, lighting – everything is synthesized so perfectly. It really felt like it was imagined from one vibrant mind that is deep in Kate Bush’s beautiful craft.
An Evening Without Kate Bush
Assembly Checkpoint,
19.20
Aug 18-19, 21-26