Lou Fox
At its core, Dance Dance Involution presents to us the existential dilemma of a generation with originality and nuance. Gen Z is, the show reflects, one caught between doom-laiden prophecies of a world burning down around them and an enduring pressure to hustle, create and relentlessly make progress. In societies where five minutes of rest is both an act of laziness and simultaneous anarchy, Deliberate Collision’s punchy and inventive piece is likely to resonate with younger audiences, sure – but also poses important questions about work ethic, the pressure to be productive, and how long any one person can commit to the relentless hamster wheel of success-seeking.
Aptly, this struggle is brought to light by three “Gen Z Hong Kong Girls” who are not only performers trying to create (and survive) in The Industry, but also products of a highly competitve schooling system that – illustrated by a trilingual Speech Competition scene – values tickbox, performative productivity above all else. I doubt an audience must be from Hong Kong to appreciate its pervasive question: might the viable choice be, faced by a reality of “harder work for diminishing returns”, to consciously step back, and “lie flat”? There is no discernible answer, as each of the cast seem to find themselves on a different side of the debate (at points, literally). Fast forward, and by the show’s close, we have seen it all: rage, tears, multilingualism, heartfelt debate, glimpses of the Hong Kong school system and – the compelling closer – a rather ingenious take on the TikTok phenomenon. This show brings a wonderful, varied scope of emotional performance and, for the most part successfully, takes the audience along for the ride.
It’s a disconcerting start. Three performers lie on their backs, breathe deeply, and chant affirmations, and for the first ten, uncomfortable minutes, I wonder if I have inadvertently found myself in an immersive meditation session. The fourth wall is nowhere to be found until much later on: the cast eye us wearily as we troop in and ask us, minutes in, if we are not bored. It’s a fair question, at that point. “We tried to build a show”, they quip, “but we didn’t have anything to say”. This may be a relatable nugget of truth (in or out of the arts) in an over-stuffed, content-saturated, tech-driven world – in the eras of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, it really has all been done before (millions of times). What do we care about? “Skibidi toilet!” shouts Ashley So – which, I got the impression, will be ironically amusing for those in the know, and unironic pure Gen Z nonsense for those who haven’t a clue. This marks the start of what proves a strong performance from So throughout, beginning as the class clown but later emerging as the pivotal emotional apex of the show in a plaintive, rageful monologue.
Without a doubt, the show shines most at its sincerely joyful end, leaving audiences with an impression of the flair and enduring creativity of Gen Z artists. Dorothy Chow and Kathleen Wong, along with So, are spirited and earnest performers, with infectious, cheeky energy right until the very last Chappell-Roan-filled moment. Dance Dance Involution felt like a call to make the most of what you have: it’s all a bit bleak for us, at this point, so let’s agree to disagree on philosophical approach, and muddle our way through with a bit of joy to keep us going. After a heartfelt investigation of the effects of competitive schooling and what productivity looks like, as well as financial concernsy, we are delighted to be swept into a well-executed TikTok experience which I daren’t over-explain to any potential future audiences.
It’s quite simply the best bit of the show – it is Gen Z doing something they are arguably famous for, whole-heartedly and with sheer talent, which is why it works so well. We are called to recognise the toxicity of capitalist demands, but ultimately led to breathe out and belly laugh.
Dance Dance Involution is inventive, playful and modern, and speaks earnestly of the struggle to thrive, to barely survive, or anything in between.
Recommended Drink: a Bellini, for its sweet-peach tang, sophistication and endless bubbles. Maybe two or three, to steel you before being spat back out into the rat race.
Performances of Dance Dance Involution have now concluded at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
