Some brilliant moments of choreography from Matías Jaime
Malevo was created by director and choreographer Matías Jaime. The company came to prominence after appearing on America’s Got Talent in 2023, with videos of their performances gaining over 1 million views on YouTube. The all-male troupe has reimagined the traditional Argentinian Malambo into a modern theatrical showcase.
First of all, it has to be said that the dancing is impressive. 13 people moving at pace and in unison is an impressive sight to behold, regardless of what style of dance they are doing. It does however have the potential to get a bit repetitive, and that is something that this show falls victim to. I felt like I could feel the director desperately trying to stop this from being the case by having people do solos, duets, and full group performances, but ultimately the movements felt quite predictable and like we have already seen it before very quickly.
There is definitely some variety, with some impressive musical interludes and the use of different props such as whips and capes, but some of these sections almost felt like they were just trying to fill the time. This show is not particularly long with a run-time of 90 minutes, and yet I still felt that some sections and moments could have been cut or reduced to improve the show.
The absolute highlight of the show however is the use of what is essentially balls on string, which some light googling informs me is probably called a Bolas or Bolases. The Bolas sections are visually impressive and to a lay-man show an incredible amount of skill. There was a notable shift in audience reaction during this part with audible gasps being heard and much louder applause after each section. The Bolas are only used in the latter half of the show, and I can understand why. The other elements that are seen after the Bolas or in conjunction with the Bolas do pale in comparison. At one point there was one half of the performers on one side using the Bolas, and the other half doing something else on the other side, and I realised I was only paying attention to the Bolas.
The lighting design was well done and added greater visual interest to the show, but I do have an issue with the lighting during the finale. The bizarre decision was made to flash incredibly bright lights directly at the audience during certain beats in the music. This was incredibly distracting and actually painful and really made this section unenjoyable. As I was leaving, I heard other audience members also complaining about this, so for future performances I would suggest that this be altered in some way.
As a whole, there were some really great sections of this show, but unfortunately there were other sections that I felt like we were just waiting for them to end. The performers are evidently very talented, but they might be better appearing in a variety show or as part of a wider larger performance, as I am not sure there is enough variety and interest to sustain a full 90-minute show. That being said, if you enjoy their performances on YouTube, it is even more impressive in real life and this could be enough for you to justify a visit.
Malevo is playing at the Peacock Theatre until the 4th November.
Having just arrived home from there last performance in Melbourne, we were mesmorised for the whole 90 minutes. Maybe there was some different elements in the shows, but it was fantastic entertainment from start to finish. Pure energy and dazzle, wanted more, not less.