P/REVIEW: New Russell Tovey dance video

Actor Russell Tovey, best known for The History Boys, BBC sitcom Him and Her, and the supernatural dream Being Human, has branched out into the world of contemporary dance in a new short video  called Something To Love, to the music of composer Fabio D” Andrea, who also directs.

Fabio’s album “24” has that number of tracks – one in each musical key  – and all set to contemporary dance by the likes of the Royal Ballet, the Rambert company and hip hop dance groups.

It’s a highly topical theme that it follows – the wonder of being a celebrity and the heartaches which often lies beneath or within. It’s particularly relevant for two reasons – the current fear of a wave of mental health issues during and after lockdown, and the recent death of tv celebrity Caroline Flack  and the subsequent examination of the damaging effects of some social media.

Russell says of the piece : “ It’s like compare and despair. You look at Instagram and you don’t realise why but you suddenly feel a bit low, and you scroll back and you’re like oh, ok, that’s tapped into one of my anxieties. And this film shows the story of this celebrity being photographed and you think “ he must be loving all this attention “ but the reality is on the inside he’s struggling so much with just being alive .”

For the video, Russell learned dance at the world famous Pineapple Studios under the direction  of choreographer Jerry Reeve.

The result – barely a few minutes long is a haunting, painfully true dance display that matches Fabio’s sad, swelling piano accompaniment.

I guess it’s  something near to the actor’s heart and who knows we may see him dance again.  Watch it here