Thanks for Reaching theatre review – a dance production that swayed emotions

The Thanks for Reaching show is a dance production that is performed twice a year to share the message of Christianity through the medium of dance.

Despite that fact that less than half the population now describe themselves as Christian, First Love still has high attendance and people returning to its services. It has a joyful atmosphere and opportunities for young people to be involved by using their gifts and talents to worship the Lord.

The story follows a young girl who leaves her loving family, to start her new journey at university. She makes new friends and starts loving clubbing, drinking and smoking. This new journey leads her to fall for the wrong man and she is betrayed. Feeling lonely and trapped, her mental health declines.

It is the love of something superior that helps her overcome this battle as she is handed a bible to read after angels persuaded her to go to church.

One member from the audience, Dana Watson said: “I thought it was great, I love how they used to dance to almost show how you can celebrate and worship God.”

The stage configuration was vibrant and smartly designed and the story was told entirely through dance. It is simply articulated by movements of the human body. Perhaps it’s the idea that words don’t need to be heard to send a message just like God does. The words were only provided through thought-provoking videos that would play in between the action.

“My favourite part about the dance production was the fact that they used relatable, real-life everyday scenarios to capture the young minds in the audience to show them life before and after giving your life to the lord,” said Watson.

The production team captured every emotion from me. The anger about the the young girl’s boyfriend stepping over his supposed girlfriend when she had passed out from getting high, the sadness as a melancholy mood filled the room, tears after the young girl’s solo dance where she is reached by angels and finally the joyfulness of the girl smiling and making friends at her youth church.

“The message that I received was, when you put your trust and faith in God everything gets better,” said Watson.