‘Do you know anything about this show?’ I asked the Mister as we walked hand and hand into The Roundhouse in Camden for the pre-Valentine’s Day performance of Fuerzabruta.
‘It means Brute Force right?’ he said, grinning. ‘Bound to be pretty intense.’
I’d been advised not to wear anything bulky and managed to check my duvet coat in just before the show started.
So there we are, standing in the round, wondering where the action will start. The lights go out and there’s an air-hostess style announcement about mobile phones and emergency exits.
Then… a burst of light and sound as five drummers get the party started. Just as you’re warming to the beat, a tangle of girls comes flying over your head.
Prepare to spend a lot of time in this show craning your neck back, gawping at anything from fit men dangling on ropes to screaming women chasing each other across a foil-paper ceiling.
Don’t expect anything resembling a storyline. The closest we get to plot is the set piece of a man running for his life, smashing through doors and brick walls, defying gun shots. I had no idea what or why he was running to or from, but boy did he amp things up!
Fuerzabruta is a standing show that’s designed for viewers to get down and dirty too. Music’s pounding from every angle and every so often, the audience is directed one way or another as cast members leap, run and drop into our midst.
There are carnivalesque dance breaks and moments of sheer, heart-in-your-mouth wonder.
And how to describe the sheer beauty of watching women swimming above our heads on two Perspex pools, a sort of topsy turvy fish bowl effect.
Utterly thrilling, joyful and sexy, Fuerzabruta is one of the most intense 75 minutes I’ve ever spent in the theatre.
We laughed, we got wet, we pumped our hands up rave-style as a DJ in a Beethoven wig lifted us higher and higher. At the finale, we screamed for more.
Take your partner along for an unforgettable night out (and don’t forget to check your coat in)!
Post-Show Dinner
We rounded off our evening with a quick walk to Primrose Hill’s boutique hotel/restaurant/bar York and Albany, owned by Gordon Ramsay. Disappointed to hear they’d run out of steak, I lucked out with an unbelievably juicy and tender lamb dish.
Abiye’s burger was loaded with flavour, although he found the meat and bun a bit dry. All in all, a great date night spot in an absolutely gorgeous setting.
Fuerzabruta is at The Roundhouse, Camden, NW1 8EH (Chalk Farm tube) (until Mar 2). 8pm (Tue-Wed), 7pm & 10pm (Thu-Sat), 5pm & 8pm (Sun); £32.50-£46.50. NB: FUERZABRUTA is a standing show which contains scenes of mild nudity and violence with strobe lighting and loud music, therefore is not recommended for young children.
