Review: Dynamotion - Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger

Dynamotion's fifth comedy-dance show, <i>Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger</i>.

Dynamotion's fifth comedy-dance show, Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger is a winner, a saucy and escapist sequence of interactions between ridiculous characters, interlaced with high octane tongue-in-cheek ensemble dancing.

The audience is captivated from the very first blast of music and keeps laughing, cheering, and responding to the beat of eminently danceable tunes till the show is all over.

The narrative arc is straightforward: British agent 0064 aka Mia Blonde (Olivia Tennet) is on a mission to save the world from nuclear annihilation.

She has to find and seize a diamond-covered trigger key, the Ice Dagger, and we follow along as she flits from Egypt to London to Monte Carlo and the Swiss Alps, engaging with foes, and the occasional ally, along the way.

Mia's arch-foe and holder of the Ice Dagger is Belarusian ice-skating femme fatale Ima Helavavich (Lara Liew) who bears a grudge after losing the Olympic ice dance gold medal to Mia some years before.

The action rollicks along, a madcap series of capers borrowed from James Bond movies, given a satirical twist, intermixed with musical comedy cliches and broadly-played social stereotypes.

The music comes from sources as diverse as Abba and Ladi 6, Nelly Furtado and Caravan Palace, and the choreography is flavoured by rock video, with standout solos from Tennet and Liew.

The characters are engaging, the satire readily recognised, and there's a feel-good atmosphere. Co-creators Sainsbury (writing and direction) and Liew (choreography) are clearly aware of what a successful show requires, and their Dynamotion team deliver it with panache.

What: Dynamotion - Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger
Where & when: Basement Theatre, Until August 13