Songs of the Bulbul UK Tour Review

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Tue 08 Apr 2025 - Sat 19 Jul 2025

Red rose petals whip in the air around dancer Aakash Odedra as he takes on exquisite motions replicating a Persian Nightingale. The imagery in this unique Songs of the Bulbul dance show feels cinematic in its beauty and I'm left in no doubt why this production won best dance show at Edinburgh International Festival.

I finally had the chance to catch this dance work by multi award-winning Aakash Odedra Company on the show's first UK tour at Birmingham Hippodrome . It's staying there briefly until the afternoon of Thursday, April 10 before continuing on its UK tour to Leicester, Salford, Brighton, London and more.

Aakash has special links to Birmingham as a Hippodrome Associate but now he is back after the prestigious award win, showing how far he's come with Songs of the Bulbul.



The 55-minute dance is based on an ancient Sufi myth about one of these Nightingales that was captured and held in captivity. There's a poignant note in the programme from Aakash that the show is dedicated to his mother Kay, who he says was his "smiling bulbul who left her cage".

Choreographer Rani Khanam has used intricate Kathak dancing to depict both the freeness of the Bulbul bird at the start and haunting, desperate movements when it is trapped. It's as emotional as it is visual.

The optics are spectacular from the opening scene. With red and white as the main colours of the set, the floating rose petals contrast starkly with the dancer's white pristine traditional outfit, swirling amidst twirl after twirl.



It's a rapturous opener, full of joy until two of the tree trunks on stage drop with a bang to move the bulbul into grimmer times. Dancing earnestly between the caged walls of the trees, the flash lighting gives an extraordinary effect of a bird in flux, it's jaw-dropping stuff.

There are spiritual undertones too as the broken bird comes to rest by candles circling half of the stage. They are used creatively in scenes that depict a kind of rising from the ashes for the Bulbul to rousing music, created by Rushil Ranjan with classical Indian music influences. It's been recorded by Manchester Camerata, but those seeing the show in Salford at the Lowry on May 6 will get to see it performed live by that orchestra.

It reaches an almighty crescendo as rose petals once more return ahead of a dramatic finale using smoke, sheer material and shadows. The use of simple, dramatic special effects alongside the dance is excellent and a fitting spectacle for the Nightingale's final song.



Both the effects and Aakash's remarkable performance lift this production above the norm to award-winning levels.

Songs of the Bulbul is a dazzling piece of dance and a sensational visual treat. The beautiful, emotional choreography, so reminiscent of a bird, combines with striking effects to make this an unmissable, distinctive show. Don't miss out.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars


Songs of the Bulbul UK Tour Dates

Tickets cost from £10 at the Aakash Odedra Company website .

8 – 10 Apr 2025 – Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham
29 – 30 Apr 2025 – Curve Theatre, Leicester
6 May 2025 – Lowry, Salford
12 – 13 May 2025 – The Mount Without, Bristol
16 – 17 May 2025 – Brighton Dome Corn Exchange, Brighton
20 – 21 May 2025 – Norwich Theatre Playhouse, Norwich
3 June 2025 – Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
2 July 2025 – Oxford Playhouse, Oxford
17-19 July 2025 – Sadler’s Wells East, London

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