Heading for a breakdown

It's the dead of night; a couple's beat-up Toyota Corolla breaks down in the desolate loneliness of the Australian bush. It's an intriguing scenario and Aussie trio Splintergroup throw themselves into the unfolding drama with whiplash ferocity. Bouncing off bumpers, humping gymnastically in the back seat and twisting upside down in the confines of a phone booth, they energetically evoke a thousand breakdown stories, weaving across a highway strewn with terror tales and modern myths that seem eerily familiar from both folklore and news headlines.

Yet it's the sheer diversity of tales stitched into Roadkill's patchwork that blunts its emotional impact. It's hard to bond with characters who are constantly shifting gear from story to story and, no sooner has a gripping dramatic moment steered on to stage - a spooky loner appearing out of nowhere, echoing the Joanne Lees story - than the action goes careering off around another blind corner. Roadkill feels more like a rubbernecking slasher movie than a psychological thriller. Although there's the odd outbreak of humour (the illusion of speed is created by performers dashing across stage clutching windswept trees), Roadkill's lack of personal connection makes it a minor shunt when it could have been a head-on collision.

Until Nov 10, Barbican, Silk Street EC2, Tue to Sat 7.45pm, £12. Tel: 0845 120 7550. www.barbican.org.uk Tube: Barbican/Moorgate

Dance Umbrella 2007 & Ozmosis 07: Splintergroup: Roadkill
Barbican: The Pit
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS