Addictive Beat at Dilston Gallery

Friendship and music connect Alex and Robbi as they hungrily chase admiration while facing
their inner most demons. When playing around with a track, they make something gloriously
euphoric and wickedly addictive. However, with this new promise of potential and fame, the
demons come ever closer. Both are forced to ask a crushing question: what is the high they are
really chasing, and is the come down worth it?

Addictive Beat aims to show the audience the true power, love and obsession that music can create. But what happens when you create something so good it just might take over the world?

There are three things that are real highlights in this show; the lighting, movement direction and (thankfully given the subject of the show) the music. The electronic, EBM and techno soundtrack pulses throughout the show with its abstract and inventive beats to show the power of music and how it grows in people and takes over their lives. This is contrasted by bubblegum pop hits to show the differences and surprising similarities across genres. It’s a conceptual musical choice that really works. Pared with this is the movement direction which uses elements of dance to show abstract concepts of creating music and listening to music, which it shows really beautifully. This is all paired with great lighting choices that push the audience from the highs of an intense rave to the intimacy of a small apartment with no other props or set needed.

Where the performance does fall down somewhat is in its storyline and staging. The story has an interesting premise, two old friends trying to create music together, coming from different musical ideals and creating something that is so great it actually has the power to hurt people. The problem is the story has several glaring plot holes that are never addressed ar resolved

The Dilston Gallery is a beautiful space but it doesn’t feel like it’s used to its full potential here. Whilst the production does try and use a stanging that is different to the norm, having the action all take place on the centre stage with a few asides on flight cases to the sides doesn’t really justify the lack of accessibility of having the advance stand for 90 minutes. It would have been improved if the performance leaned into the more abstract ways it created action with the movement direction and sound and applied this to the staging and created something really unique to get the audience moving.

Addictive Beat is on at the Dilston Gallery until the 7th of October. Tickets start from £17 and can be booked through Dice.