“Vollmond” by Pina Bausch at Sadler’s Wells

Credit: Martin Argyroglo

My Theatre Confidences 🤫

Vollmond (Full Moon) by Pina Bausch

Sadler’s Wells till 22 February

Premiered in 2006 by the Tanztheater Wuppertal, Vollmond is a quintessential example of Bausch’s signature Tanztheater; a seamless blend of dance, theatre, and evocative stage design. The performance is built around a striking visual world. Water pours onto the stage, drenching the dancers and turning every movement into an interaction with the elements. At times, they splash and play, reveling in the mess; at others, they seem weighed down, caught in the currents of something larger than themselves. Watching it, I kept thinking about how water can be both freeing and overwhelming; just like emotion, just like life itself.

At its core, “Vollmond” highlights the complexities of human relationships: love, desire, conflict, and longing. Dancers engage in repeated, almost ritualistic movements that suggest both the familiarity and frustration of everyday interactions. This is accompanied by occasional spoken word and small confessional moments that break through the boundaries of traditional dance. The piece thrives on the tension between energetic group choreography and tender solos or duets. In one instant, performers splash water joyfully, seeming to revel in their own sense of liberation. In the next moment, they appear isolated and contemplative, grappling with vulnerability and the need for connection. A reminder of how life can be at once exhilarating and overwhelming, how something beautiful can also bring chaos.

Credit: Martin Argyroglo

That’s what moved me most about Vollmond: how it captures the unpredictability of human experience. One moment, a dancer is laughing, splashing like a child in the rain. The next, someone is staring into the distance, drenched and still, as if lost in thought. It reminded me of how we move through our own days, switching between joy and melancholy, between connection and solitude, between feeling entirely alive and feeling completely adrift.

Bausch’s Tanztheater doesn’t tell a straightforward story. Instead, it offers fragments; scenes, gestures, emotions stitched together in a way that feels like a dream, or maybe a memory. Certain images repeat: arms reaching, bodies pressing into the rock, dancers struggling to keep their footing on the wet stage. The repetition feels deliberate, a reminder that we often return to the same emotional landscapes, no matter how much we try to move forward.

Credit: Martin Argyroglo

But Vollmond isn’t just a meditation on personal experience; it also speaks to something larger. Watching it now, in a time of political and social fracture, I couldn’t help but see reflections of the world around me. The relentless flood of water felt like a metaphor for today’s anxieties: climate disaster, widening inequality, the way we struggle to stay grounded in a society that often feels like it’s slipping through our fingers. The way the dancers navigate the chaos, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not, felt eerily familiar.

By the end, Vollmond left me feeling both unsettled and strangely comforted. There’s no resolution, no neat ending; just movement, emotion, and the undeniable presence of time passing. And yet, that’s exactly why it resonates. Pina Bausch had a way of capturing what it means to be human, in all its contradictions. Her work doesn’t just reflect life; it feels like life; messy, unpredictable, breathtaking. Even now, I find myself returning to those images of drenched dancers, still searching for meaning in the water.

Credit: Martin Argyroglo

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A quick note on my reflections on the shows I see:

Let’s be clear: you won’t find the typical “review” on my page. I don’t buy into the so-called objectivity of mainstream theatre criticism; it’s outdated and protects toxic power structures while sidelining marginalised voices. I’m not objective, and I’m proud of it. I’ve got my own lenses. My reflections are personal, shaped by my lived experiences and values. I share what moved me, what challenged me, and what’s worth talking about; not ticking boxes or handing out stars.

And no, I’m not going to describe the whole plot or list every onstage moment; I find that mind-numbingly boring, both to write and to read.

Giuliano x

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My Way of Looking at Theatre

You know, the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes that traditional theatre criticism has often been a tool for maintaining existing power structures.

It’s time to drop the privileged fancy talk around theatre and break free from star ratings.

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