By Belle Dunning
Hadi Zeidan’s ‘Shik Shak Shok’ is an immersion into a different world. As you step into the room, you’re met with dim lighting, cabaret-style tables, pulsating belly dance music and an already-crowded bar. The place was buzzing with people when we arrived, and had a good atmosphere. Although the description of the show had been fairly broad, clearly the concept of a Lebanese belly dance club set in 1980s Beirut had appealed to people.
The music was definitely the highlight – a fantastic blend of Lebanese belly dance and electronic music that captured your attention from the moment you walked in, and provided an energising backdrop for conversation without dominating the room. It was a credit to Zeidan’s work to collect countless Lebanese records from this era over the years. Projections of belly dancing scenes from Arabic films and the carefully curated Lebanese menu (we sampled the Arak Medu cocktail and several plates of hommus) only added to this.
The show had a clear creative vision and delivered on that, successfully capturing a moment in time and transporting the audience there. I did feel it was lacking something though – I think I had come expecting something more, perhaps some live belly dance performance, to really bring the ‘cabaret’ element of the show to life.
Regardless, it was a unique experience, an enjoyable night out and I’m sure it inspired at least a few people to dig deeper into Lebanese culture and belly dance music!
Kryztoff Rating 3K
Recent Comments