Masses of potential, that's what we've got here. Botis Seva is a 24-year-old from Dagenham whose political, theatrical and experimental take on hip hop might just make him the next big thing. Seva's talent hasn't gone unnoticed. He's been mentored by Hofesh Shechter and now let loose in Sadler's Wells' studio theatre as part of their Wild Card season, where he presents his own work alongside invited guests, in a night that's patchy overall but has flashes of real brilliance.
Let's focus on the good stuff: an opening scene of bare shoulder blades undulating in the spotlight; dancers swarming together on a hazy stage, with bursts of floor-skimming footwork and hunched bodies punching out accents in the music (you can see Shechter's influence here). There's a caged energy pulsing through the bodies, and there's a tone – unsavoury, sexually aggressive – which is also found in the evening's closing piece, Guvnas, featuring a gang of football hooligans. They're boorish and racist, yet Seva never quite makes it clear whether we're inside or outside the mob. "Who are ya?!" the yobs cry, and it's a bigger question than just what team we're on.
This feels like an authentic voice of young male London. Seva's work is skilfully put together but could do with a clearer directorial eye, yet there's no doubting the quality of his company, Far From the Norm, a group of six (including two very strong women, Lee Griffiths and Victoria Shulungu) who are totally in tune, bouncing off each other's energy. Not the finished product but definitely ones to watch.
Ends tonight, Sadler's Wells, Lilian Baylis Studio, EC1; sadlerswells.com
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