The Life And Death Of Marina Abramović represents a melding of the visions of the subject and Robert Wilson into beyond bravura performance theatre.

Enhanced by Antony Hegarty‘s holy terror and held together by the carny physicality of Willem Dafoe‘s stage presence, the diamond-hard Manchester International Festival production at Salford’s Lowry Theatre offers a series of sublime tableaux, many preoccupied with Abramović’s monstrous mother.

For some, Abramović has been unfairly suborned by Wilson’s will; her long-term collaboration with the German artist Ulay is barely mentioned and elements of Wilson’s own work seep through: Dafoe’s ringmaster/freakshow MC is at times close to the fairground barker personas adopted by Tom Waits in his collaborations with the director.

Yet these are quibbles in the face of the many beautiful episodes of tenderness, humour, horror and despair, often realised with the simultaneous use of film, choreography, dialogue, music, exquisite light direction and pin-sharp sound engineering.

Afterward the exhausted Abramović – she and the ensemble have been drilled hard by Wilson – revealed that the production is moving to other cities around the world once it completes its run at the Lowry tomorrow (July 16).

Here are some dress rehearsal extracts:

Tags: Antony Hegarty, Manchester International Festival, Robert Wilson, Salford, The Life & Death Of Marina Abramović, The Lowry Theatre, Tom Waits, Ulay, Willem Dafoe