'Never Enough' at Hull Uni - my second viewing

It has to be said, that while it wasn't massively different, I enjoyed Never Enough much more in Hull than in Scarborough. It's probably something to do with a home audience being more willing to laugh and play along than a more demanding NSDF audience, but - in their defence - RashDash have improved this show in the last month.
They also didn't lynch me, despite me being on the front row. So that was nice. The review's short, because the show hasn't changed much since I last reviewed it:


RashDash Theatre return to their home venue in Hull University's Donald Roy Theatre with a show – Never Enough – that hasn't changed massively since its airing at NSDF09.

The award-winning choreography is still present, still vibrant, still vital and alive. At times, it feels a little tired, but maybe that's just familiarity with the material. It's not that the pace flags – it doesn't – it just all seems a bit familiar, like these are the moves RashDash have been doing all their lives (and can be seen in their previous work, not only Strict Machine but other Hull shows). But there's nothing wrong with carving a niche and playing to your strengths.

Thankfully, the story has been trimmed a little since NSDF09, and doesn't feel quite so long as it once did. This may be partly due to proceedings being whipped along a little quicker now too. The biggest change though is that Never Enough – which raised the one giggle at NSDF09 – is at Hull genuinely funny. Played for laughs, it enjoys a much higher degree of success than it did as a dance/physical piece.

What struck me while watching Never Enough for my second time was that it's a piece of theatre that has nearly everything in it. RashDash tell their story using most of the tools available to them in their dramatic toolbox. The movement and dance serves to demonstrate the subtext of the characters presented through dialogue, while their monologues (like the conversation between Helen Goalen's Becca and her own thoughts, voiced by Abbi Greenland) shed light on their inner lives. Considering the opening of their earlier work, Strict Machine, it's a shame there's no similar singing in Never Enough – it's the only big thing missing.