THIS was always going to be a tricky one to review. After all, how do you pass judgment on somebody else's religious beliefs? Because the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey isn't a show per se, it's a 700-year-old ritual. A spiritual ceremony during which
the whirlers "become one with their creator". When it's played out in front of an almost capacity Festival Theatre audience, however, it turns into a performance – and on that level it just doesn't work.
The Istanbul Music and Sema Group are clearly masters of their craft – the musicians played beautifully, the singers sang competently and the whirlers twirled with dexterity. There was even the odd moment of theatricality, when coloured lights caught the rotating white fabric of the whirlers' costumes.
For the most part, however, it was incredibly difficult to engage with anything taking place on stage. Such monotonous singing is an acquired taste, and with the absence of supertitles their words meant nothing to us. Even when the much-anticipated Whirlers arrived, their movements quickly became repetitive and dull.
As a manifestation of faith and devotion, this profound example was perfectly executed. But it had no place in the dance programme at the Edinburgh International Festival.
The full article contains 211 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
