A real show of strength

Don't be fooled by appearances: beneath the toothpaste smiles and crowd-pleasing comedy of DV8's Just For Show there beats a lonely heart. In this age of quick fix communication, texts and e-mails, it's a dark and witty study of the suspicion that the more we talk, the less we understand each other.

The fractured nature of human relationships and the pain involved in simply connecting has been a constant theme for DV8 director Lloyd Newson, a master of physical theatre. But where the misfits and outsiders he's exposed in the past were clearly bent on self-destruction, the glossy characters in Just For Show are even more disturbing in the way they elevate self-denial to an art form.

'The right behaviour at the right time is the key to a successful life, don't you think?' asks the scene-stealing Tanja Liedtke, mannequin and yogabender extraordinaire. But what emerges via Just For Show's visually stunning snapshots of modern life is the way our desire to do the right thing widens the gap between what we appear to be and who we really are.

The more the parade of characters seemingly expose themselves, joking, posing, stripping, shagging and strutting, the less we know them. Newson employs a potent mix of wordplay, movement and sophisticated imagery - the video effects by Niall Black are mesmerising - to create a world that's all shimmer on the surface, yet losing touch with its soul.

Whether that's a bad thing remains an open question. With its alluring menu of glamour, humour, dance and theatre, Just For Show might leave you thinking a life of illusion is more fun than the real thing.

Until Sat, Lyttelton, National Theatre, South Bank SE1, 8pm, £10 to £27.50 (limited availability). Tel: 020 7452 3000. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Tube: Waterloo/Embankment

DV8 Physical Theatre: Just For Show