“In Search of the Dance” is a fantasia about the popular French composer Maurice Ravel. As he attempts to write a perfect piece of dance music, he is plagued by bizarre characters, strange apparitions and unpredictable events.

Crossing swords with contemporary composers such as Stravinsky and Debussy, socialising with some of the great personalities of 1920s Paris such as Picasso, James Joyce, Jean Paul Sartre and Gertrude Stein, Ravel struggles with his composition. He even strives to vie with the greats of the past who appear to him in his dreams. Despite not being as naturally spontaneous as his contemporaries, Ravel finally succeeds. He writes “Bolero” a piece of music which became a world wide hit at the time and remains so today. It was made very famous when Torville and Dean skated to it at the 1984 Olympics.

This beautiful play has many surprises and hidden depths. Written by Tim Coakley, directed by Petina Hapgood and with a stellar cast.