in-i ** - TNT

Combining the talents of a world famous French actress and an equally respected performer from the world of ballet might sound like the foundation for a fascinating collaboration, but the result proves patchy.

As part of the European Culture Season, Juliette Binoche and Akram Khan have put together several short scenes using words and movement to investigate the nature of love. They begin with Binoche recounting how, as a teenager, she spotted a man at the cinema and stalked him until they became lovers. There’s an amusing (but over-extended) segment in which passion gives way to the practicalities of living together and the state of the toilet seat becomes a matter of contention.

But there’s more tempestuousness than humour, and the choreography often verges on the violent as the colours of the flat encroaching wall, designed by Anish Kapoor, mutate. Khan delivers his spoken lines with intensity, and one can’t help but admire the agility and stamina of the forty-something Binoche as she throws herself into the dance moves. But, even at just over an hour long, this experiment becomes repetitive and the uneasy mix of tone never goes deep enough to enlighten.

Lyttelton at the National, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until October 20. £10-£41