Vibrant, rhythmic, and undeniably passionate, Dribble attempts to capture the heartbeat of Brazilian football culture even if its narrative stumbles near the goal line. It is a show that celebrates the beautiful game as a national philosophy, blending live samba, bossa nova, and funk carioca beats into a joyous, albeit structurally uneven production. Electrifying energy bogged down by a little lack of editing.
We are welcomed by the group who arrive on the street singing and dancing to lead us into the performance space.
The production’s greatest strength is its infectious, kinetic vitality. The choreography is simple yet effective enough and it is hard not to warm to the performers personas. Costumes are again, simple yet 'enough', with matching sporting tracksuits customised with colourful patches. The performers mirror their step-overs, passes, and aerial kicks with heart, accompanied by the live percussion that keeps the theatre pulsing.
Conceptually, it begins by framing football not as a multi-million-dollar industry, but as an intimate archive of personal memory, centered around local peladas (dusty pickup games) in neighborhood squares where social bonds and individual identities are forged. Dribble falters when it shifts focus from evocative cultural tapestry to conventional melodrama, focusing on personal struggles rather than the loose connection of football in it's entirety. I preferred the latter, especially the story about the performer who lost his father, but it didn't sit well with the entrance/first 20 minutes we were given.
The piece attempts to tackle each performers personal struggles, and the use of subtitles was welcomed (although could not always be seen). There were a few moments of alcohol sharing and dancing with the audience which gave the piece a carnival vibe, but failed to elevate the moments from anything more than a gimmic. What was impressive however, was the use of projection, timed very well and creating some lovely imagery.
While the musical numbers soar with raw energy, the non-musical dialogue scenes dragged the tempo to a crawl.
Dribble ultimately plays like an exhilarating match that ends in a draw - you will leave perhaps with the humming of the percussive score in your head, but the narrative fails to score a decisive win.
Still a nice watch.
⭐⭐⭐
Dribble runs at the Edinburgh Fringe until Monday 31st August. Tickets are available from https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/dribble
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