Betroffenheit on BBC Four

Betroffenheit had its London premiere last year, and played to full houses on its return to Sadler’s Wells earlier this month (April). It is a unique, and uniquely powerful, dance theatre work and one that should be seen.

The German word means a state of shock and bewilderment following an unspeakable tragedy. In this case, the real life tragedy was the death in a house fire of Jonathon Young’s teenage daughter and two of her cousins.

Young, a Canadian theatre director and actor, and Crystal Pite, one of the most acclaimed contemporary choreographers, took the tragedy as a starting point for Betroffenheit, which Culture Whisper reviewed on its first outing.

Now, as part of Culture UK BBC Four is broadcasting the work as recorded during performances in its latest London outing, and we can’t recommend it highly enough.