The Lyceum hosts the Aakash Odedra Company for three nights only for the unmissable Songs of the Bulbul, the jaw dropping, intimate and glorious new dance work that is equally accompanied by a stunning spiritual soundtrack to fit the piece. It’s hardly surprising that the show has been a sell-out and prodded a Saturday eve standing ovation.
A bulbul is a caged songbird, an avian virtuoso, that is rumoured to sing more melodious the closer it comes to death. Watching Aakash Odedra’s sweeping movements, it could be said that there is an element of reflection here in the choreography, with his most refined nearing the end of the piece, albeit ghostly.
A mere solo dance by Odedra, it’s astounding that he captures our hearts for the hour. But he has our sole attention as we follow his graceful choreography from start to finish. With compelling music by Rushil Ranjan and a powerfully simple set design, our focus can sit with Odedra, which it most certainly does for the time. The Indian classical dance Sufi Kathak has a poetic edge with simple lighting and petal stage design.
Radiant choreography that explores the joy and the darker aspects to the Sufi dance style, Odedra delivers at a pace and technique that the audience finds bewildering. Wild with drama and unfathomably grandiose (for a one-man show), Odedra’s Songs of the Bulbul is affecting and mesmerising to watch. Glorious and a privilege to inhale for those sixty minutes in the Lyceum, if Odedra comes back to Edinburgh I urge you all to go see for he seems rather at home in this space.
Words by Keira Brown
