Every now and then, a dance piece is based on a certain work (eg Alice in Wonderland, Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast), or inspired by a particular artist (eg Tennessee Williams, Auguste Rodin) - but how necessary is it for the audience to be familiar with that work in order to fully appreciate the performance? Is familiarity necessary to benefit from the full impact of the work, or can the audience be relied upon to form their own interpretation of the piece regardless of prior knowledge?

Jealousy was based on the 1957 novel by Alain Robbe-Grillet; the set, designed by Laurence Kavanagh, places the three characters of Husband, Wife (and her double) and Lover in a house-like structure, with visible doorframes, hanging poles, window blinds, and chairs set in opposite corners. Charlie Lucas's lighting was extremely remarkable, creating dramatic effects and touches throughout the performance.

The opening solo was by Daniel Hay-Gordon, initiating the movement for his solo with the swaying of a hanging pole, accompanied by a haunting female vocalist's solo. As he moved around the space, we could see his suspicion build until his wife appeared, and they swiftly degenerated into a confrontation, albeit with very nice touches.

Jealousy has been co-choreographed by Daniel Hay-Gordon, James Cousins, Hubert Essakow and Morgann Runacre-Temple, and each has choreographed individual sections, which leaves us with Essakow's dancers arriving onstage as Hay-Gordon's section is about to end, and occasional interactions between each choreographer's dancers. Rather than present the choreographers' work in 15 minute blocks, their sections are brief, endlessly shifting back and forward, matching the changing dynamics of the story and of the music; towards the end, we see all four women onstage.

There is little storytelling in each section, so it is hard to tell how the performance relates back to the source novel, however there are many interesting moments and plenty of great dance to watch. It is an unusual concept to bring together four very different choreographers to work together on a piece such as this, and certainly the changing styles help to develop the story further. While Daniel Hay-Gordon is such a beautiful dancer to watch, the audience would probably be happy to watch him perform solo for the full hour, Morgann Runacre-Temple achieves far more in her short sections, with creative use of space, unusual ideas for her dancers' partnering, and the most vivid storytelling. Hubert Essakow's two dancers represented the two sides of The Wife, culminating in a feverish duet towards the end; although very enjoyable to watch, his sections lacked the dramatic tension of the other three choreographers. James Cousins's choreography, the most "contemporary" of his co-choreographers', was sharp and crisp, with sensual duets depicting shifting dynamics, relying on repetition to emphasise certain scenes.

Jealousy is a fantastic idea by The Print Room, and a wonderful experience for the audience, with works by some very exciting choreographers in an unusual setting. It's only on for a few more days, with limited ticket availability, but it's definitely worth seeing if you can get a ticket!