Words: Caitlin Finnerty

5 Stars

Created by New Zealand choreographers Oli Mathiesen with Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer this endurance-based dance work takes the atmosphere of a three-day rave and compresses it into a relentless, electrifying hour. Performed to Suburban Knight’s pounding techno album Nocturbulous Behaviour, it’s a spectacle of stamina, sweat, and sheer willpower, where the human body becomes both victim and victor of music, passion, and desire.

From the moment you queue, you’re drawn into the world: audience members are handed festival wristbands with QR codes linking to a beautifully designed programme. Inside, the atmosphere is already thick with smoke and bass, three dancers pulsing in a corner, their energy synced to the music as neon strips suspended from the ceiling flash in time. When the show begins, the intensity only builds. High-energy sequences flow seamlessly, with no pause, no break, just movement upon movement, at times playful, at times feral.

Each dancer brings their own flair, robotic precision, balletic lines, club-floor abandon, but together they’re magnetic, like the untouchably cool group at the party you wish you could join. The choreography fuses every genre of dance you could think of into something wholly original and euphoric. It’s not just dance; it’s endurance sport, theatre, and ritual rolled into one. Watching, you feel breathless, exhilarated, and envious all at once. As a Kiwi abroad, I felt immense pride seeing New Zealand deliver such world-class, innovative work on the Fringe stage. The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave is an unforgettable, high-octane rush. Cast these dancers in the next Step Up film immediately.

The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave 
Main Hall, Summerhall
18:05, 
Aug 20-25