Edinburgh Fringe 2017
Kin
Barely Methodical Troupe in association with Underbelly
Genre: Circus, Dance, Physical Theatre
Venue: Underbelly Hub
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
“The boys from the 2015 smash Bromance are back in this red-hot, five-star circus show… and they’ve brought friends! The game is on – tricking, tumbling, flying and catching are challenges and opportunities for individual bids for recognition and winning. The UK’s hottest circus company, Barely Methodical Troupe, are at the forefront of a new kind of physical performance, creating highly entertaining shows that mix the showstopping acrobatics of circus with the emotional punch of theatre.”
Review
This is a fascinating take on circus and dance. It entails a competitive edge, where five men vie for the attention and approval of a woman. This does not happen how you may picture it in your mind because there is a cool air in this story. What’s more, the woman is in charge. She is seeking a partner and her way of doing do is novel, to say the least.
Each man is different in personality and physicality. All six performers wear cool tones, such as grey, white and green and the lighting supports with cool hues for much of the time. It’s a unified look that matches the atmosphere of the dance physical play very well. This is not about a new social media match up site to find a mate. It’s all very interesting and unusual for a circus and dance show full of wit and humour.
The performers do tumbling, hand balancing and acrobatics acts displaying their personalities. She is cool calm and collected, she gives nothing away, neutral face for her while the men over exaggerate to get her attention. Loud electronic music pulsates as the acts progress and she turns to individual challenges. Everyone is highly trained and skilled, merging and dividing as they do precise muscular acrobatics numbers with a dancer’s grace. Sometimes the dance is flirty or romantic, but she still gives nothing away. The woman is an accomplished acrobat and joins in with the international group, as they expertly perform acrobatics or collaborate by jumping high off the teeterboard taking turns.
Music is an additional element of this show; when songs are played that tell us what the woman or men are thinking. The lyrics contribute to the storytelling immensely and with humour. When they engage with each other the interplay is always entertaining and a tad boisterous. There are some very funny parts in this circus and dance show, due to the situations and how the story develops.
They each tell us anecdotes and stories about their background, in short scenes, which are very interesting. They don’t just speak, though; they also express the stories physically. It’s not long before another tumbling and brilliant acrobatics sequence begins. The mood changes now and again as the story builds towards the end.
They really are an international family and use their skills and interactions to tell the intriguing story. Well performed and designed, Kin is a wonderfully entertaining, theatrical and visceral show that draws you in immediately.
