A finely choreographed re-telling of Carmen, set in an oil-rich African state proves captivating to David Bellan Africarmen, a powerful piece by Bawren Tavaziva, at East Oxford’s Pegasus Theatre, is his take on the story of Carmen, and he has named his leading character after the fiery Spaniard.

Bizet’s opera is set among workers in a cigarette factory, Africarmen among the exploited oil workers of a vicious military dictatorship somewhere in Africa.

But rather than look for similarities between these two works, it’s better just to concentrate on the new piece Tavaziva showed us at the Pegasus.

It’s a tale of infidelity and rape, and ultimately of self-destructive revenge.

Carmen seduces married villager Mhondiwa, whose wife has been raped by the gang boss, follows him to town when he has to flee, and then turns her attention to would-be boxing champion Kanyeretu.

In a final showdown, Carmen’s two lovers kill each other.

Two things are clear from the opening moments – the quality of Tavaziva’s choreography, and the talents and personalities of his dancers.

Lisa Rowley is Carmen, and in her opening solo we see both her slightly frightening allure, and her ability to express quite complex feelings through movement and dance.

And this is true of all the cast.

The men are virile and powerful. Theo Samsworth is impressive and believable as the sexually-obsessed Mhondiwa, and Carmine De-Amicis is terrific as the boxer-turned-lover, who enrages Mhondiwa to the point where they fight to the death.

The boxing match, in which Kanyeretu wins the championship, is cleverly staged, with the four corners of the ring formed by the women of the cast, including Carmen.

It’s a strong story, but what sets it alight is Bawren Tavaziva’s choreography – exciting, imaginative dances in which the personalities of the protagonists are clearly depicted.

There’s a tragic inevitability about the events that take place, and Tavaziva’s work is made thrilling or moving in turn by a talented cast. The company have been seen several times in Oxford over recent years, but they are still able to surprise us with something new.

4/5