Echo’s Object is a deliciously provocative look at body image, gender and our need to be noticed. It explores the idea that we each construct a persona through a unique combination of masculine and feminine traits. This dance of dualities is set in a variety of worlds, from strip bars to raves to the parade grounds of fascist ritual; the choreography probes the relativity of gender and the overwhelming presence of narcissism in our lives.

With a precise balance of risk and control in ensemble pieces and show-stopping solos, the dancing in Echo’s Object is full of thrilling, disturbing oppositions. Seven men strut with magnificent machismo but also sashay with serpentine seductiveness. Five women morph from voluptuous playthings to avenging warriors who slice the air with fiercely jutting limbs.

The creative team of Echo’s Object has devised an intoxicating theatre of beauty and wit, an unsettling catwalk on which fantastic creatures preen and prowl. Phil Strong’s sound design evokes all-night dance clubs, porn grooves and industrial punk. Jeremy Laing’s costumes combine military formalism with unfettered lengths of gossamer silk. Cheryl Lalonde’s décor of gilt frames, classical pillars and flowers is ingeniously lit by Steve Lucas who uses mirrors to evoke images of fascist architecture, music hall stages or intimate museums of desire.