The real divinity of the work lies in the second half. The cast begin to lead the audience outside to the pastel streets of Nottinghill, we take a short stroll to the swanky grounds of the nearby Holland Park School. On a hill of pebbles one dancer begins some literal tree-hugging, as if sourcing energy from the bark. She passes it through her hand to a dancer, then an audience member, and the contagion spreads. Peaceful duets between the cast and public play out on the rocky surface, there are some smiles and awkward giggles, but the atmosphere is pleasant and meditative. The dancers lead us to another clearing, a tennis court, the grassy lawn of Thorpe Lodge (a Victorian villa on the school grounds). Our promenade is interspersed with more duets, gentle contact work and improvisation, and luckily everyone is game. It’s hard not to be pulled in by the dancers, radiating warmth in their inviting open hands.

The setting is as integral to “Searching Blue” as its participatory angle. Out in this little oasis in a hot, stuffy city we see yellow leaves traipsing downwards to the earth, rushes of wind that thunder through the tall trees. Even the blonde flies are dancing like ruthless confetti, they are part of the performance. It’s hard to sum up words of the sort of gentle joy that the audience feels, something deeper than inclusion or novelty, it is a near-divine harmony and resonance. The sonorous soundscapes of Lee have now mellowed out as if composed by a gentle stream. While it’s hard not to read these descriptions as blurbs from a spa’s collection of world music CDs, “Searching Blue” truly does find a way to melt the urban exterior in its playfulness and mystery. Swee Boon hits the right chords in this gem of promenade theatre.