
England on Fire
BalletBoyz
Edd was commissioned by Balletboyz for their latest production which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in November 2023. Inspired by the book 'England on Fire' by Stephen Ellcock and Mat Osman, the work searched for meaning amid the challenges of life in the modern and ancient worlds. The production brought together 8 choreographers who each had the task of taking individual chapters of the book and creating their response to the ideas within.
Edd crafted three chapters for the work: "The Way," "Enchantment," and "Visions."
The Way
In the initial section, three strawbears, reminiscent of characters in search of Godot, wandered the stage aimlessly, guided by Stephen Elcock's imagery of old English paths and labyrinths. Clad in oversized costumes made of hundreds of rag-tied strips and adorned with bells on their ankles, they exuded a comedic yet poignant aura.
Inspired by the Strawbear Festival of Whittlesea, they embodied elements of Morris dancers and Shakespearean jesters, captivating the audience with their silent slapstick routine. As Keaton Henson's haunting composition for strings filled the air, a sense of melancholy enveloped the stage, leading viewers to empathize with the characters' monotonous existence. Henson's music served as a seamless bridge, transitioning from the conclusion of this chapter to the enchanting opening of the next.
The musical director for the work was led by Charlotte Harding, both The Way and Enchantment were composed by Keaton Henson.
“The most enjoyable sequence is Edd Arnold’s The Way, featuring three dancers dressed as Olde English mummers in shaggy onesies. The flopsy trio tumble bonelessly or take flight in arcing jetés en tournant, the shreds and patches of their costumes flaring around them in tatty aftertraces.”
- Financial Times
Enchantment
Enchantment unfolds in darkness, with the stage left empty except for a spotlit singer delivering the first verse of a ballad to Albion, depicting England as an aging character journeying towards the grave, "Oh, to your grave, Albion." As the singer performs, the entire company enters the stage in a sleepwalking procession, symbolising perhaps the funeral march for their Albion. Short bursts of gestural movements emerge from the march, evoking memories of a past life brimming with energy and possibility, inspired by the text from "England On Fire":
"He pulls a dandelion clock from between the flagstones and blows. Through the cloud of seeds we glimpse, for a moment, a changeling land. Herds of hobby horses gallop under tangerine trees, while flower petal carriages roam marmalade skies" - Mat Osman, P.106
These eruptions intensify, gradually tipping the balance between their sleepy march and this enchanted reality until reaching a pressure point that eventually implodes. A spell descends upon them, and the group falls into ritualistic celebration, circling a duet at center stage with wild yet organized movements in drunken jubilation. The spell permeates the orchestral score as well, propelling the ensemble towards a climactic moment. As the ritual reaches its crescendo, we are left with the two dancers at the centre, continuing their intertwining dance reminiscent of a campfire, while the rest of the cast surrounds them, harmonising the last verses of Henson's song until the fire dwindles to embers and fades.
Visions
“Visions” is the penultimate section of England On Fire, is a blend of film and live dance. The protagonist of the work is met on stage by a 10 metre screen projecting an ethereal being, who has come to offer them a vision for a better future. The character takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s jester and Morgan Le Fay from Arthurian literature. The film begins with the character concealing themself in a heaped jacket, full of tension and inner conflict, erratic laughter and repetitive movements engulf them until they collapse. The emerge transformed, revealing huge wings underneath the heavy jacket, and exuding an otherworldly peace towards the performers, before disappearing back into the darkness from whence they came.
Credits
Produced by Balletboyz
Choreographed by Edd Arnold
Music by Keaton Henson (The Way/Enchantment)
Music by Kassi Konoshi (Visions)
Musical director Charlotte Harding
Costume Katherine Watt
Dancers: Harry Alexander, Tania Dimbelolo Seirian Griffiths Benji Knapper, Rosanna Lindsay, Luigi Nardone, Sophie Ormy, Oxana Panchenko, Meghan Stevens, Artemis Stamouli, Kai Tomioka, Holly Vallis