Poetic and pure exploration of Aardlek in Amsterdam's basement #tf2010

The search for the gem of the Fringe takes me to Amsterdam's basement. Underneath the Rokin, where work on the North/South line is going on 24 hours a day, theatre collective Aardlek plays the performance PUT. In one of the Fringe Festival's most eye-catching locations, I find myself on an underground voyage of discovery into the past, present and future.

It thumps under the ground. The jackhammer is doing its job. Above, cars race across the tarmac. Around me only concrete, pipes and dust. A moving house points the way. Aardlek makes the best use of the space. PUT is poetic and pure. The music is raw. Hollow, harsh sounds by hitting metal with hammers and honking on PVC pipes fit perfectly in this construction pit. The visuals in particular are extraordinary and very inventive. Light and sound transport me into another world, while above me the city really rushes by.

Crouching down, I spy through a mirror unusual creatures on small vehicles. They help hollow out the tunnel tube. Remnants of concrete and dust stick in their hair. Moments before, I imagine myself decades older when a projector shows up a track and five actors pass by in an underground. Aardlek amazes with his ingenuity. It ends after half an hour, but I'd rather descend even deeper into the pit. Curious about the world Aardlek creates here.

PUT by theatre collective Aardlek can still be seen at the Fringe Festival until 6 September 2010.