THE Cape Town City Ballet will be performing Marc Goldberg’s dance adaptation of Noël Coward’s controversial play The Vortex at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from August 12 to 23. The ballet is choreographed by Goldberg, under the artistic direction of Elizabeth Triegaardt.

The Vortex explores themes of drug addiction in 1920’s high society; adultery; ageing and dysfunctional family dynamics over the course of a weekend in the country home of David and Florence Lancaster.

We follow Florence through the return of her son Nicky and his new fiancé Bunty from Paris, and the gradual understanding that Nicky is harbouring a dark secret.

Florence’s obsession with youth and beauty is displayed in her constant affairs with much younger men. Her current lover is the dashing Tom, a past school friend of her sons but he is proving to be a greater challenge than anticipated. Tensions boil and culminate in an explosion that irrevocably changes the lives of those involved.

Musically we experience the unspoken tensions by the use of juxtaposing composers. Noël Coward’s live recordings of hits like Poor Little Rich Girl, I Went to a Marvellous Party and Mad about the Boy are combined with Mexican electronic composer Murcof’s very atmospheric and sophisticated style.

A varied and sometimes chilling canvas of the human perspective is created while working within the frame of Coward’s glamour, frivolity and opulence of the era.

The role of Florence will be danced by: Claire Spector, Laura Bosenberg and Kim Vieira;  Nicky by Thomas Thorne and Jesse Milligan; Tom by Ivan Boonzaaier and Daniel Sybokovsky; Bunty by Laura Bosenberg and Sarah-Lee Chapman; Helen by Kim Vieira and Elizabeth Nienaber; and David by Xola Putyeand Bradley van Heerden. Guest dancers are Thomas Dobronyi and Caitlin Smith.

Performances will take place from Wednesday to Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 4 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm and 6 pm. Tickets are R250, R200, R150 and R100 and can be booked through the Theatre Box Office at 011 511 1818 or at Computicket.