DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

The Music Box

Pianodrome at the Old Royal High (Venue 391), until 22 August

JJJ

There’s a slightly scatterbrained vibe to Nikki Hill of Welsh theatre company Dripping Tap, that belies the tight control she has over this show. “Do you know why we’re here?” she asks on arrival, three ballet shoes tied to one foot and a tail made of folded paper. The implication being that she doesn’t and that whatever unfolds next will be because of happenstance rather than planning.

Of course, Hill knows exactly what she’s doing and a mild sense of chaos is part of the show’s appeal. Not strictly a one-woman performance, she is, wonderfully, joined onstage by her dog. Well behaved and astute at catching flying objects, “Dog” steals the show at times but is a welcome presence throughout. Some of Hill’s silliness is layered with deeper meaning (a bag full of bills and government documents weighing her down, for example), other times it’s just her messing around on roller skates and knocking over a mannequin. The former shines brighter than the latter and more of that would give this two-hander something substantial for the audience to grasp hold of. KELLY APTER