Edinburgh Fringe 2014
Low Down
Circa brings a bold new vision of contemporary circus that celebrates the expressive possibilities of the human body at its extremes.
Review
Circa come from Brisbane and bring a bold innovative approach to circus. In Beyond they explore the spaces ‘beyond’ – beyond the line between human and animal, beyond madness and sanity, beyond logic and dream, beyond the ‘rabbit hole’ of Alice in Wonderland…
This provides a theme that runs through a number of set pieces ranging from reflective to fast paced comical.
A simple but spacious set of different levels revealed or concealed by red curtains provides a setting as high as it is wide. Using all of this backdrop at every level seven performers create a cabaret, a zoo, an asylum and more. They express inner thoughts and connect with each other and the audience using not only circus skills but rabbit heads, blindfolds and a Rubik’s Cube!
The flexibility, skill and strength of every performer is astounding. There are breath taking sequences as they flip across the stage to land in another’s arms, or create extraordinary human pyramids. In the next sequence a single peformer has the audience gasping as she hurtles floorwards in an aerial display only to stop inches from the floor. A clear favourite with the audience involved the character intent on completing a Rubik’s Cube despite the increasingly devious attempts of her fellow performers to distract her. These frantically energetic routines are countered with slower more reflective pieces in which the performers display extraordinary control and precision creating and holding beautiful, almost architectural shapes and making it all look effortless.
Personally I felt the choice of music lacked coherence with show tunes, electronica and rock ballads; and artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra and Sid Vicious. However, that also means that there is probably something for everyone with my personal favourite being Jacques Brel.
Overall, this is a spectacle that will have you enthralled for an hour whatever ever your age or background.
