Prowl is a street dance-theatre body of work that encapsulates the fluidity of movement and expression of oneself, the identities that intersect and major emphasis on femininity etched in their way of being and knowing. Performed by Prowl Productions ensemble and I have to say they delivered all the 10’s across the boards with their show. 

As I was getting ready for this show at 9PM at Raynham Park, I read the synopsis of the show and how it has won Auckland Fringe 2024 awards, including Outstanding Movement, NZ Fringe Tour Ready, and Auckland Arts Festival Tuakana. It made me ponder, “this show has to be excellent if it has this type of acclaim”. 

So, of-course I came in excited but also curious if I would be coming with high expectations seeing if they were going to reach it, as I walked in with many people in front of me and at the back of me. I see the fierce staging of it being traversed showing me that we would be able to see the audience reactions in front of me which will gauge my perspective if the body of work will be receptive to them. 

I was seated in the centre left at the front and at the beginning the lighting was blue at the top, the air conditioning kicked in and the music was retro which added a cool vibe in the space. The energy shifted as they played Beyoncé’s Babyboy song which got the crowd going then the MC started to go over the rules of the place, where the bathrooms were, fire exit and also shared that no one should be on their phones to record. 

And because as a reviewer, I use my phone to take notes of the show, I didn’t want it to be a distraction if I am typing on my phone and it comes across rude especially with the performers being on stage and they see me doing that might be intimidating or come across I am disengaging so I thought I would observe with my heart and be present in its entirety then write my review after. So I did not have my phone out to type anything in real time as I wanted to absorb every moment. 

I have to say the show exceeded my expectations, it really did. After the show finished, and the audience applauded, I can see even during the show the audience in front of me collectively enjoyed every ounce of their performance which is testament to their accolades they received because it was phenomenal. 

Once the show finished, I quickly wrote on my phone that the energy and camaraderie with one another was next level and what that means is that it was so in-sync that the relationships with each-other really shone through their performance. They clearly enjoyed themselves performing to us so generously, which naturally made us enjoy the entirety of the performance. 

In relation to their concepts, it was mixed with literal interpretation through their physical stimuli in dance. But also, through their abstractness of their contemporary and street-dance repertoire which was at a high level. I know it was at a high level because as a PhD student in Dance, I can see the clever arrangement of placement with their choreography but also leaving us wanting more as they progress through their story arc in their performance. 

One moment to mention that was significant and really got the audience going was the theatre element with the fans which showed the versatility of it not just being solely dance (which was excellent). But, the comedic timing, and breaking of the fourth wall allowed us to connect more with the performers. Constructively though, I think if they had more theatre performance, acting elements scattered throughout the show would help those that love the on the nose storytelling if they cannot connect the dots via the amazing choreography in relation to their conceptual ideas they wanted to convey.

Despite this, the show was excellent. The lighting being so consistent and added to the overall performance and enhancing the key moments of fierceness, vulnerability, creativity and divine femininity. There was singing in the show which was mystical and added another dynamic layer to Prowl. The chanting of “divine femininity” was spiritual as if they were a Greek chorus chanting to the feminine ancestors for empowerment. That sense of empowerment pulsed through the entire room. It was packed, yet what filled it most was not just bodies, but a deafening, collective support. We felt it viscerally: a current of spiritual connection, an unapologetic feminism alive in both stance and spirit, and the radiant force of queer feminine experience. That energy crystallised in the whacking repertoire—fierce, sharp, and relational—each movement cutting through the air with precision and pride.

The question I asked myself when I was getting ready to watch this show was: “Will this show exceed my expectations due to the type of acclaim it has received in the past?”. And it sure did, the costume, the performance quality, the lighting, the energy was as mentioned in my first paragraph: 10’s across the board. 

Congratulations to the Prowl ensemble for a spectacular performance! 

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