Richard Chappell Dance, Hot House, The Place

Based in the South West of England, Richard Chappell Dance has been going for 10 years, during which it has toured both the UK and internationally with works that explore social questions turning them into vibrant, highly physical dance.

The company's latest project is Hot House, a piece for five dancers that takes as its starting point the current cost-of-living crisis, and particularly the cost of heating, and turns it into a celebration of collective resilience and generosity.

Hot House is performed to an eclectic sound score influenced by Chinese, Indian and European classical music, played live by violinist Enyuan Khong, who composed it in collaboration with the electronic duo Larch. Its predominant hue, both in costumes and lighting, is the red of fire, and the choreography, too, follows the movement of flames either burning bright, dying as embers or being revived.

Here's a taster.


The ultimate aim of Hot House is to provide audiences with an uplifting experience in the way it invokes humanity's inner flame and its strength in the face of big social and political challenges.

These and other related questions can be raised in the post-show talk with the choreographer Richard Chappell.