REVIEW: Songs of the Bulbul
Review Date: 9th July @Sadler’s Wells East
REVIEWS
Kassy Fang
7/11/20262 min read
©️Aakash Odedra Company, Songs of the Bulbul, photo Kuldeep Goswami,
Presented by Aakash Odedra Company, Songs of the Bulbul is a mesmerising solo by Aakash Odedra, inspired by an ancient Sufi tale of a captured bulbul. The bird offers one final, beautiful song before its life slips away. Here, the story becomes a meditation on the fleeting nature of dance itself. Like the bulbul's song, every movement exists only for a moment before disappearing.
Drawing from Kathak, the performance combines intricate footwork, expressive hands and fluid turns with the music. Every gesture follows the bird's journey, carrying it closer to its final moments. Rani Khanam's choreography highlights the richness of Kathak while bringing its spiritual dimension to the forefront. The score, composed by Rushil Ranjan, drives the performance with dramatic intensity. Waves of sound roll across the auditorium, matching the stamp and breath, and bringing the movement and music together.
The visual imagery is arresting from the outset. Emanuele Salamanca's scenography places several large branch-like forms high above the stage. Their twisted silhouettes resemble thorn-covered rose branches, both elegant and faintly menacing. Midway through the performance, they suddenly descend, enclosing the dancer and turning the open stage into a cage. Every attempt to escape ends in defeat before another series of increasingly urgent spins. Crimson rose petals continue to fall from above, slowly covering the stage. Every stamp, turn and glide sends them skimming across the floor, creating shifting patterns that become part of the choreography and add another poetic layer to the performance.
The white costume designed by Kanika Thakur gradually takes on a more sculptural appearance, extending into the shape of a flower in bloom and later the wide wings of a bird preparing for flight. Its transformation is beautifully understated and complements the choreography with great subtlety.
Lighting plays an equally important role. Fabiana Piccioli's lighting creation fills the space with moments of theatrical magic. A semicircle of candles gradually comes to life, while tiny points of light travel between Odedra's hands like glowing seeds. They ignite the candles, illuminate the surroundings and finally drift upwards, disappearing into the darkness.
Songs of the Bulbul is an aesthetically accomplished work, with the polish of a mature international production that celebrates artistic heritage and tradition. Audiences drawn to symbolic dance and refined stage imagery will find much to admire. Its carefully composed beauty may leave some viewers appreciating its artistry more than connecting with its emotional core.
★★★ 1/2
For more information, please visit: https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/aakash-odedra-company-songs-of-the-bulbul/
Credits
Dancer: Aakash Odedra
Choreographer: Rani Khanam
Composer / Musical Director: Rushil Ranjan
Designer: Emanuele Salamanca
Lighting Designer & Dramaturg: Fabiana Piccioli
Costume Designer: Kanika Thakur
Rehearsal Director: Dheerendra Tiwari
Music Performed by: Manchester Camerata (conducted by Melvin Tay)
Vocals: Sarthak Kalyani / Abi Sampa
Choral Vocals: Rushil Ranjan / Aakash Odedra
Additional Instrumentation: Janan Sathiendran (tabla) / Praveen Prathapan (bansuri)
Additional Composition: Abi Sampa / Danyal Dhondy / Shuheb Hasan / Amaan Ali
Mixed and Mastered by: Andrea Gobbi (Gloworm Studios)
Additional Composition on Yaare Mann and Forest: Shuheb Hasan / Amaan Ali
Music Preparation: Danyal Dhondy / Max Guthrie
Production Manager: Salvatore Scollo
Touring Technical Manager: Ryan Phillips
Stage Manager: Jamie Kubisch-Wiles
Stage Manager: Sheriton Swan
Photography: Angela Grabowska / Kuldeep Goswami
Videography: Danielle Bower
Trailer: Subhash Viman Gorania
Presented in association with Manchester Camerata. Supported by Jacob’s Pillow and was created in part during a residency at the Pillow Lab at Jacob’s Pillow. Remount and Development Support: Birmingham Hippodrome.
Sound Behind Curtain
A place for all Asian artists.
Your gift keeps the curtain rising for Asian creatives.
About
Contact
© 2026 Sound Behind Curtain. All rights reserved.
Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy