★★★★★

"WASTELAND is entirely captivating, gripping and one of the best pieces of dance theatre seen in years!"

★★★★

“Wasteland immerses audiences with its relentless thumping beats, as well as dynamic and carefully crafted movements to consider the complexities of the time.”

★★★★

"Although the miners strike and the emergence of rave took place in another Century, Clarke’s dazzling production brings them sharply into focus making them as real as if they took place yesterday."

★★★★★

“Wasteland is a truly wonderful piece of dance-theatre: humane, politically charged, by turns funny and sad.”

★★★★★

"Its stunning combination of movement, music and imagery makes for an unforgettable work of angry, emotional, celebratory, political dance."

★★★★★

"Immense and Memorable."

★★★★⯪

“This is a powerful, accomplished piece of dance theatre and a timely reminder of the social consequences of political actions.”

★★★★

“The production firmly roots the upsurge of euphoria in its socio-political and historical context.”

★★★★

“Blisteringly fierce.”

★★★★

“Dance taken at a barnstorming, frantic pace with a sharp political edge to boot… its picture of alienated youth rising from the ashes and finding both escape and a sense of purpose in the hedonistic release of rave culture is curiously uplifting.”

★★★★

“An ambitious, carefully crafted, visceral dance-theatre treatment of a crucial time in the history of modern Britain, that more than justifies its belief in dance as a vehicle for ideas and social commentary.”

“Exceptionally fierce and furious, poignant yet playful; Wasteland, Gary Clarke’s sequel to the iconic Coal, is political dance at its very finest.”

“Thrilling sequences of visceral, vigorous dancing.”

“A gloriously joyful rendering of a moment when youth culture briefly created a new community.”

“If you’re into partying, it is really hard to sit still.”

“The dancers are exceptional - their energy is awe inspiring.”

“Genuinely moving…intense.”

“A truly exhilarating viewing, Wasteland tells a raw human narrative through an intense but still somehow real form of movement.”

“Superbly performed piece of dance theatre.”

“Much more than just a dance show… delivering a clear narrative which may help explain the situation that we find ourselves in today.”

“Incredibly moving.”

"Wasteland is powerful."

“The energy of thousands of people in five performers.”

"A raw, powerful account of mining communities ripped apart by the destruction of their industry, and how the younger generation moved on."

“Compelling...powerful…excellent.”

"It's furious, moving and a warning from the past to the present."

“Evokes optimism even as it revels in dance.”

“Pulsing and hypnotic.”

★★★★★

“A profound and highly relevant contribution to remembering this painful, life changing period in our history.”

★★★★

“An absorbing, immediate slice of history rendered with the kind of emotional truth that deepens its impact as popular entertainment.”

★★★★

“Visceral piece of physical theatre recalling the shattering impact of the pit closures in the 1980s”

★★★★

“Sense of startling authenticity that Clarke has managed to capture in COAL”