As Theatre of Dreams arrives in London, the celebrated choreographer and composer explains how having his laptop stolen was a blessing in disguise for his new show

Hofesh Shechter walks out of Paris’s Théâtre de la Ville, where people are gathered on the pavements, full of post-show chatter. They notice him with a flutter of excitement. Inside the foyer two women linger, self-consciously clutching programmes for the show, Theatre of Dreams, for him to sign.

It’s like being with a celebrity, not so common in the world of contemporary dance. Shechter tells me he never gets this reaction in London, where he’s been based for the last 22 years, but Paris has clearly fallen for the Israeli choreographer big time. His company is premiering Theatre of Dreams here, with a three-week run. Backstage we meet one of the musicians, who tells us a woman came up to him at breakfast, crying. She’d seen the show the night before. “I now know what to do,” she told him. That’s powerful stuff.