Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber have become a darling pair for companies in North America and continental Europe, surprisingly this marks their debut in the UK. The former Batsheva dancers turned choreographers have a proclivity for gestures that act like exclamation marks; the movement is punctuated to a T. The set up of a “Twin Peaks” red curtain, upright piano, and chairs bring a classy touch, as does the monochromatic kit of suits and slip dresses on the cast.

We see dancers speed-date through flirty and fraught duets, melanging like a gang of no good bohemians after a few too many shots of absinthe. Dipesh Varma is totally magnetic as a young hopeless romantic, a juvenile imposter in his oversized coat and tails. He moves with an immense drive, his feet scatter about like droplets of water on a hot pan. He even sings a love song in French, the wee fool. Naya Lovell impresses too in her solo, a distillation of neurosis and ecstasy before slipping into the abyss behind the curtain.

There is a pre-nouvelle vague charm to the piece, the simple clothes, the chansons. All you’re missing is a beret or two and more cigarettes. The ensemble comes alive in an energetic final sequence filled with folkish stamping and impressive footwork. Rhythm comes to the fore and our starving poets transform into joyful peasants before our eyes. As an exploration of mood and aesthetic, “In Crimson” delights, Smith & Schraiber’s choreographic compositions are equally titillating. Though on the slighter end it serves as a seductive amuse bouche.