Is there or isn’t there a hanged man in ‘Sun’?

Sun is one of those performances that confront reviewers with the eternal dilemma of whether or not it is appropriate to give things away. Yet a reference to what is a powerful coup de théâtre — namely a life-sized hanged hooded man falling from the rigs at the end — has to be made to appreciate what it is all about. The problem is that, according to some reports, that same coup de théâtre disappeared the night after Sun opened, thus turning the dance into something completely different from what had been previously seen.

Hofesh Shechter, one of today’s most provocative and innovative dance- and performance-makers, likes to surprise, often in an unsettling way. As soon as the lights go down at the start, his voice invites viewers to take a peep at the ending of the work, to reassure them that, grim as things might look, there is a happy ending after all — and the sun is always shining, as one would say.

Starting with the finale confounds well-rooted traditional notions of theatre and creates expectations. After all, the dynamically vibrant image we are given first remains firmly imprinted in our minds as a set point of arrival throughout the performance. Once back at the ‘proper’ beginning, we are introduced to a frenzied crescendo of reiterated images. Yet, though repeated, the various ideas are never identical, as new elements are introduced all the time, whether they be an almost imperceptible change to the movement, or more obvious visual or aural ideas. Viewers, therefore, are bombarded with a multiplicity of ideas and stimuli, including the bemusing, though creepy at times, use of life-sized cut-outs portraying sheep and natives of faraway lands, as well as single figures presenting potential threats to both, namely a wolf, a conqueror or a hoodie — today’s stereotypical threat to society.