FESTIVAL DANCE | Reviews
CIRCA: BEYOND Spectacular circus from Australia’s sharpest acrobats ●●●●●
The devoré-patterned platforms, the red-curtained backdrop, the eerie blacklight; they’re all indications of things to come in this dreamscape show from outrageously brilliant Australian troupe Circa. But no amount of set-dressing or somnambulant atmosphere can match the plain and simple power of this seven- strong ensemble who tumble, hoist, fling, contort and stretch themselves into all manner of breathtaking shapes.
Circa’s performers are the rock stars of the circus world; sharp,
sexy, strong as a pack of turbo-powered oxen, and, in Beyond, tempered with a dose of sweetly surreal humour. The show plays back and forth with ideas about the animal in all of us, leading to cameo appearances from giant bunny heads, animal noises bursting from the cast while they try to behave, and a fabulous Chinese pole solo from a cuddly bear. But that’s not to say there’s anything flippant going on; rather
Beyond traces an intimate path between grace and baseness, offsetting sensual choreography – Billie Wilson-Coffey’s exquisite, vulnerable aerial silk solo – with a wild feeling of letting go. A prowling, tangling chase evolves between two tumblers, while Paul O’Keefe’s extraordinary duet with a piece of paper is swiftly interrupted by him ramming the whole thing into his gob. Pain and its magnetism recur as themes: a contortionist allows
an acrobat to walk over her split legs; a clown masochistically slaps giant rubber bands against his nipples – the result of both is that the audience gasps are laced with cries of ‘ouch’. But it’s strongwoman Bridie Hooper completing a Rubik’s cube while being clambered on by the rest of the troupe that sums up the Circa essence: strength of mind is just as powerful a tool as strength of body. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug (not 6, 12, 20), 7pm, £16.50–£18.50 (£15.50–£17.50).
BROMANCE Fresh, likeable debut from young male circus school grads ●●●●● THIS IS BRASIL – THE SHOW Hot music and dance fresh from the favelas ●●●●●
Meet the members of the all-male Barely Methodical Troupe. Winners of Circus Maximus, the UK’s first circus competition, they handily come in three sizes: small (Beren D’Amico), medium (Charlie Wheeller) and large (Louis Gift).
The contrast works well in this likeable debut show. These fellows are young, cute, fit and skilled, playing with notions of masculinity, trust and risk, from an opening analysis of handshakes to a series of tricky balances and corkscrewing backflips.
Resident strongman Gift is especially adept at swinging and catching D’Amico’s wiry, compact body. Wheeller has a great partnership going with the Cyr wheel (a large, metal hoop), temporarily sheltering the other two inside it as it revolves in an ever-diminishing circle. Later he’s placed on his back with legs in a lotus position, being used as a springboard by his mates.
Barely Methodical might not yet evince the resonance and maturity of other circus outfits, but then how could they? As an inaugural effort, Bromance has a freshness and appeal that bodes well for their collective future. (Donald Hutera) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug (not 11, 18), 4.55pm, £13–£14 (£12–£13).
62 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2014
When the security staff have to stop small boys in the front row from dancing on the stage, it’s a good indicator you’ve got a hit on your hands. This gloriously technicolour, tourists-eye view of Brazil’s best bits lets you gawk, escape and admire to your heart’s content, for one hour of tops off, sweaty, grinning circus fun.
All the clichés are present and correct: ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ on jazz flute, the writhing lambada, the flamboyant carnival feathers. But they update the stereotypes with additional scenes of a new favela dance craze, ‘football freestyle’ – where keepie-uppies combine with b-boy dance moves and acrobatics – and percussion instruments are made from recycled beach rubbish. Capoeirá displays and performers from the
National Folkloric Ballet Company of Bahia are gobsmackingly good – their grace and aggressive elegance a definite highlight, grasshoppering over one another as a row of men do speed press-ups. It’s especially impressive when the same men are shimmying frantically through a dance number a few minutes later. (Claire Sawers) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug (not 12), 8pm, £13.50–£17 (£11–£15).
SONICS IN DUUM Contemporary circus with a fantasy vibe ●●●●●
The world has turned topsy-turvy and a renegade troupe of acrobats has been consigned to live beneath the earth. That’s the premise of Italian company Sonics’ fantasy-themed acrobatics show, Duum – so named after the noise a jump makes. All the hallmarks of an accomplished cirque
nouveau show are there: aerial silks, hand balance, some super-lithe adagio from Claudio Bertolino and Alessandro Pietrolini, who brace themselves into all manner of muscular shapes like doubles of da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. But there’s a balance-and- pose house style to the company that leaves their acts feeling a little dated, compared to some of the more inventive contemporary circuses in town.
The new age soundtrack and dramatically masked ringmaster feel reminiscent of 90s television magic, while props are relied on to pad out the show; neon-lit hula hoops, twirly batons and giant winged costumes. It’s a shame because the aerials are slick, and the finale – a giant hoop around which the entire cast clamber – original and beautiful. But with NoFit State parked up at one end of town and Circa at the other, the circus bar, so to speak, has just been raised too high. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 23 Aug (not 12), 4.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).