The title doesn't lie. Inspired by the hoofing contests of Depression-era America, not to mention the Sydney Pollack film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Canadian performance collective bluemouth inc. invites us to dance till we drop. Or at least until we're eliminated by the roller-skating referee.
It's easily the most innovative piece I've seen on this year's Fringe and with greater structure and focus, especially in the flagging final hour of its three-and-three-quarter hour duration, could become a cult Edinburgh fixture for years to come.
Up to 100 participants each night are invited to don a numbered bib, find a partner and then attempt whatever steps the MC commands. It might be the Gay Gordons, or the YMCA, but the rule is that we must never stop moving our feet.
It's theatre at its most immersive, with a singer and a band to provide the music as we whirl around. Reader, I did not shirk the challenge. I donned my dancing shoes, ate a banana for slow-burning energy and took to the floor. I ended up dancing - occasionally blindfolded - with one of the performers, who are cleverly secreted among us less sure-footed folk. I wasn't crowned overall Dance Marathon champion, but I burned off some Fringe-related calories. A few tweaks, and this show would score a perfect 10.
Until August 14 (0131 228 1404, traverse.co.uk).
Dance Marathon
Traverse
