Amy Morvell – Turtle Dove 

Written by Hannah Mulligan  

‘Turtle Dove’ is a heartwarming piece, that tells the many stories of love and kinship and all the trials and tribulations that go with it. This work, choreographed and danced by Amy Morvell, alongside performer Joe Darby, is hilariously funny and incredibly emotional and as an audience, you are taken on a beautiful journey, to find the meaning of love.  

The work uses verbatim from a number of people interviewed about their experiences of love, taken from people of all genders, ages and sexualities, ensuring the work is inclusive and relatable to all. The work seamlessly weaves together the stories of many different people, making it easy to watch and immersing the audience into the tales.  

Amy and Joe give fantastic performances, taking us from the ridiculousness of the online dating world, comedically posing for online profile pictures, the signature male lip bite and squint and the feminine urge to pose in a peace sign and pout. And dancing like there’s no tomorrow in a night club setting, in a constant battle over who gets to use the microphone to speak. To dancing true connection and depicting the many stages of a relationship, falling in love, celebrating milestones and birthdays and falling out of love and experiencing heartbreak. This work grips you from the very beginning. The piece ends in a way that will have you reaching for the tissues, as we hear what it's like when two people love each other to the very end of life. Turtle Dove is utterly stunning, and I wish I could watch it again and again,