Category Archives: Circus

Circus, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

“Enjoy the film!” – our first encounter with our Cinemadrome employee, Cabbage the Clown, with their simple nod to traditional clown jumpsuit and cute but tragic blue make up. Is it a show or are we just about to embark on a blockbuster?

Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome is a one person performance, dipping into commentary on queer culture, consumerism and the plight of an artist. Cabbage ping pongs through ideas throughout – there’s silly, basic comedy and slapstick, interaction with the audience and general “clowning around”. It provides silly humour from deep down, until we all begin to get real deep with Cabbage.

Using multimedia, the performance in interrupted by power point presentations with questionable graphics, clips from classic movies, triggering interpretive dance or skits including the degradation of a slurpy cup. The ideas and concepts are endless and jump into one another. Until we crescendo, from a failed relationship and notes of a struggling artist, Cabbage evokes Bouffon practices as they somehow rise dressed and moving (?) like popping popcorn, screaming through the soundscape. The 45 minutes of irreverent humour suddenly crashes into sadness and a stark reality of loneliness, the search for love and search for a purpose. But we couldn’t leave it there, a happy ending, quickly flipping through a new love story with an audience member, of quick change costumes and prompts leaves us happy, content but knowing this is only a dream.

My favourite part is the use of puppetry; created out of rubbish, Cabbage moves this creature seamlessly and creatively, almost lifelike. The creature is cute and lovable until he spouts his dark words of insults which only becomes draw-dropping. It’s clever in creativity and execution.

However, a good majority of the time stays at a similar level of slow, awkward down-time and at times, we lose the energy. When it’s good, it’s great but sometimes these dips become overwhelming in pause.

Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome evokes everything needed from this type of art; humour, a message and creativity. It just needed to keep the momentum going in those moments where energy dips.

Circus, Festivals, Opera & classical, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Daphnis and Chloe, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Circa, Multitudes Festival, Southbank Centre, by Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Kicking off the Multitudes festival, a festival that aims to celebrate the collaboration between classical music and other art forms, London Philharmonic Orchestra and circus troupe, Circa explodes in the Royal Festival Hall.

While the concept feels unsurprising and a good fit with one another, the actual viewing of such a spectacle is awe-inspiring and exciting.

Written for and with inspiration from dance, Daphnis and Chloe depicts the story of young love, with star-crossed lovers, a kidnapping by pirates and ultimate earthquake triggered by the rescue, eventually joining the lovers together again. This is followed by a secondary piece, La Valse, created in a time of war, depicting a society of chaos and on the verge of collapse.

The orchestra is on stage for the entirety of this performance. A quick intro by the head of music at Southbank Centre, we are reminded that, a tradition physical performance, such as circus or dance, would see a moment of applaud between pieces or at moments of monumental feats, but we are asked to hold our excitement to the end to also take in the orchestra and their equal part in this. In practicality, this is somewhat hard. A classical music novice, and clearly not the only one, a small break and an actual standing up of the orchestra and point to the accompanying choir prompts a response and so when the performers come back and the music drums back up, only then we know we are not finished. Not the end of the world but a strange sensation none the less. However, there is something lovely and refreshing to not hear an applaud each time the circus perform a death-defying stunt, while not silencing a strong, short inhale, and it gave a platform to take in the whole performance.

Despite this confusion, which is minimal in comparison to the event, the room is filled with the sounds of a typical orchestra. It reminded me how I wish to visit more classical music concerts, while with little knowledge of what to see exactly, as the live music aspect gives you a special tingle from the talent demonstrated and the beauty. As mentioned before, a choir accompanies, high in the seating to the right. Their gentle standing up for appropriate moments to join in with their choral harmonies brings a multitude of feelings, from excitement to sinister atmosphere, accompanying and competing in equal measures with the ever changing tone and range of the orchestra.

While we are unable to miss the orchestra, we are somewhat distracted by Circa. A small strip at the front of the stage is their platform, working linear and occasionally branching to the backing levels of the auditorium behind the orchestra. The feats are incredible, reaching heights using one another’s strength and contortion, it is visually beautiful and provoking of audible gasps. The amazement in itself coming from the small space they easily and effortlessly work in, compared to traditional circus tents or large vacant space. There’s a want, after the starting speech, to try and give attention to the orchestra and the choir, but it’s difficult to look at their “performance” when visually, the area is brimming with both them and the circus performers. However, you are trusting on your ears and the piece never misses a moment where all elements fit together seamlessly.

Daphnis and Chloe gels the different platforms of classical music and circus with ease and beautifully. Does it feel like a breakthrough in the arts? Not really, but you can’t help but love the collaboration and that it paves the way for more live music and preformative art forms to go back to traditional roots and bring them to the modern world.

Circus, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Crying Shame, Sweet Beef, Pleasance Dome, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

As life goes on, it is becoming clearer that society is becoming lonelier, mental health is on the downward track, and its affecting the young and the queer community in a disastrous way.

Sweet Beef, with their show, Crying Shame, aims to bring this epidemic to light, using verbatim interviews mixed in an unreal cabaret, where we are reminded that, while we may be suffering, we are not alone.

While this sounds intense and deep, there are elements of comedy within, in a little bit of a bittersweet way. The characters are all clowns of some sort, with clown-like names, make up and crossed cabaret/circus outfits. They start out engaging us as any cabaret show: we have the compare, the introduction to different acts, they interact with us like friends and welcomed guests… but as time ticks on, it becomes more unhinged, the characters break down, it all goes wrong. There’s this philosophical approach to the production, almost starting with “putting on a smile” to engage us, but pushing us away as soon as things become too much and too real – it resonates, if not ambiguously.

The characters are each fully formed and so when they break, it is very clear that their clown facade has disappeared. However, some moments of chaos were almost too chaotic. Each breakdown seems to draw the other characters out and it becomes a little overwhelming, with competing voices and faces engaging you. The compare continues to keep peace until they themselves break and we get this beautiful moment of their reflection, of a slower and calmer analysis of loneliness. If there were more peppering of this, it would feel more poignant and not at a high energy level that felt a little hard to keep up with.

Crying Shame is visually beautiful, with a socio-political approach that is needed since the pandemic and in an ever downward spiral in our mental health system. It is an important and clever production, but needed a occasional change of pace to allow us to sit in our thoughts on the topic.

Circus, Dance, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, N.Ormes, Assembly Roxy, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

One thing I felt I missed this year at Fringe was circus. Not that there wasn’t plenty to see but it was one of those years that it just didn’t come my way. So to be able to see this beautiful piece, N.Ormes was enough to satiate that thirst.

N.Ormes is by a circus duo who aim to break down pre-conceived ideas about bodies and gender. By subtle changes in costume, lighting and the swapping of “roles”, they conduct an acrobatic dance to show the extent to which the body can go, no matter the gender.

The piece is fully mute and so much of the story line and emotion is brought through facial expressions and gestures; we begin with the concept of their love, then the exhaustion of the relationship but as it continues, the physical strength between the two genders projected on stage shows an ever swapping support of one another, physically but also emotionally. There are moments of comedy, nothing laugh out loud, but a smirk or a chuckle on the ordinary interactions of two humans… while it happens mid-air is another matter, however.

The two conduct feats that you can only dream of; being pushed up high by feet, in a sitting position, to only come back to the unusual seat, a seemingly small woman able to lift a tall man by just her head and so much more – we know circus artists are super human but they cleverly do this in a way to juxtapose the norm of what we usually see in a circus show.

The production ends with subtle lighting on their bare torsos while they continue acrobatics and it is just beautiful. The bodies merge into one and we are just left with skin and muscle – no idea the gender or the person. It is quite poignant.

My only negative is that the production felt consistently at one note. I wanted there to be a bit where it sped up or got intense but it didn’t quite reach that change. But none the less, it was certainly art.

N.Ormes is a powerful display of physical exertion with all pre-conceived ideals and gender norms thrown out the window. I just wanted something to break up the steady pace they had set.

Art, Circus, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Horses, Elf Lyons, Pleasance Courtyard, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Elf Lyons is a name I’ve heard around for a long time. All good things, I promise. And is a performer I’ve wanted to see for a long time. So it’s safe to say, I went into this completely blind but very curious.

Lyons welcomes each person at the door which is lovely and unexpected; she is endearing and lovely and already in her clown make up. To do this for each person of this most likely sold out crowd is something in itself.

What comes to pass is every level of absurd, ridiculous, hilarious, dark humoured and insane. And I loved every second. The couple next to me, American tourists, asked if I had seen her before and when I said I hadn’t, they told me they had seen this show as a work in progress and that it would “change my life”. God, weren’t they right.

Lyons takes us through a whistle stop tour of horses, what they did and do for humans, their mythical stories, but retells these in her own way. Pegasus gets new shoes but he’s also going through puberty and so this, while physicality made to look horse-like, comes across in the typical teenage angst. Made up characters boarder stereotypes slightly but again, the way that Lyons embodies them each, physically, vocally, facially is all very different, and entirely her own.

Each story is like a little sketch and each is full of dark, dark humour. And she doesn’t go for the obvious; her tales are her own and absolute comedy genius. To be honest, without all these clever and well formulated stories and characters, Lyons just trotting around for an hour could have kept me entertained alone.

Elf Lyons Horses is unique but comedy perfection and not short of a genius show.

Art, Circus, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Plewds, Katherine Payne, Summerhall, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Throw together some Queer theatre, clowning, deep therapy, the X Factor and you have Plewds.

Plewds travels through the story of a Queer person as they try to get over a break up, but it’s more than that – it’s about identity, Queer stories and injustices of this.

Katherine Payne starts and ends the show unconventionally, they are very meta throughout, and admit this with not knowing how to start or end the show. The hardest parts, but certainly not the hardest they have experienced. We are taken through high levels of clowning and comedy and then thrown quickly and deeply into reality and despair. This sets us up each time for a roller coaster of emotion and makes the break down of their story even more poignant towards the end.

The characters they create are well constructed, if not clowned versions of stereotypes, helping to deliver the stories but make political and social commentary, A male detective who believes a lesbian interaction is an example of them as “just friends”, continuing to showcase the misconceived ideals through history.

There is of course audience participation (this is fringe) and these elements are just as funny as the pre-planned production. It adds a fantastic layer to the production and the audiences really getting into their tasks brought comedy and a comfortable break in the forth wall.

Plewds has a important message of identity of Queer people and Queer relationships and can resonate with many. But at the same time, it is a lot of fun and full of clown-fuelled comedy.

Circus, Dance, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Stuffed, Ugly Bucket, Pleasance Courtyard, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

We knew, while we were in it, that shows of the future would likely contain elements of the pandemic. I dreaded this, thinking it would likely be the same thing over and over. But boy was I wrong.

Stuffed is a production about food banks – not food. Food Bank workers go through a daily cycle, while verbatim voice overs fill the scene. Using this, they take on different characters and drive the story forward by clowning scenes that are inspired by what is said. Everything gets worse and more chaotic until a crescendo of mess. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

We are thrown instantly into the production, with drum and bass music, high energy physical theatre and essentially being shouted at but with an important message: this is nothing new, nothing we haven’t heard before. And yet, this disclaimer still doesn’t prepare us for what’s to come.

There are levels of highs and lows in energy and performance, and this keeps us on the edge of our seat. Dark humour fills each scene, from a visceral scene of a person with guts coming out of them but acting as if it is all okay, to a fight over a crumb, the performers acting with elements of pigeon-like physicality. But with this, a more serious darkness comes and this does well to lull us before driving home the gut punch.

Political commentary on the state of politicians, the police and other elements mix between raw real speech to a clowned and hammed up interpretation: when the man with his guts hanging out is met by the police, they firstly ignore him, see we are watching and then embark on futile attempts to soothe to appease the public. Hilarious but extremely to the point and almost not surprising.

The crescendo is a break down of society, government, life and this is represented in an inferno, a building collapse. What is interesting is the performers already have signs on their costume and make up to suggest this isn’t the first time. It becomes raw and painful and delivers yet another gut punch. It is so powerful.

Stuffed is a must see play. Even if you think food banks have nothing to do with you, they have everything to do with everyone. This production has the perfect levels of comedy to then really smack you in the face with reality and it brings real emotion to you. It’s fun, but painful and so very important.

Art, Circus, Dance, Festivals, Musical, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review, Swamplesque, Trigger Happy Productions, Assembly Main Hall, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Rarely have I been in a situation when a review is hard to write because it is such perfection. 

I very much booked this on a whim; I saw plenty talking about this, from fringe contemporaries to general public and as a cabaret, burlesque obsessive and millenial who grew up with and watches Shrek on repeat for comfort, I also couldn’t resist. 

Most burlesque shows run for a couple of hours, with interval and presenters. But at Fringe, this isn’t an option and actually, the consistant pace the show is forced into just helps with keeping the laughter coming. Not that there is a problem with that in the first place. 

As the name suggests, this burlesque show is a satirical take, with drag, burlesque, rude jokes and phenominal singing of Shrek, condensed to one hour with highlight triggers. From pop culture references or if you have just seen Shrek an ungodly amount of time, you’re already speaking the words along with the audio; the surprises and their take on them are all the more funny with extensive knowledge and they have chosen something so brilliant to be creative and get the audience going. 

Transitions are smooth and we are thrown in from the start. Innuendo is writhe and the little details to create jokes are well planned and thought out. And the actual skill of the performers is a gold star – they are professional, having fun and extremley talented. I have probably never been to a show when, the next act comes on and i’m laughing at the sheer impressiveness of their choice and conduct or saying “No F***ing way!”. I was entirely engaged and so was every audience member, by the sounds of the cheers, the singing along, the laughter and clapping. It’s a wonder the Assembly Main Hall is still in tact. 

Swamplesque is everything I wanted it to be and more. Not a foot wrong, so extremely clever in execution, creation and thought, they were meticulous in their choices and artistic direction and I had THE BEST time. Now to go away and question all my thoughts and feelings…

Circus, Dance, Music, Opera & classical

Britten’s Death in Venice – A Review by Eva Marloes

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

The WNO’s production of Death in Venice by Benjamin Britten is a symphony in black and white with minimal staging, effective choreography, and powerful singing. It’s a beautiful and haunting painting that conveys the internal anguish of the protagonist at the core of Britten’s extraordinary music.

Death in Venice is based on the novella by Thomas Mann, where Gustav von Aschenbach is a famous author who travels to Venice to find inspiration. There, he develops an attraction for an adolescent boy, Tadzio. Disciplined and ascetic in character, Aschenbach is torn between his sensual desire and his detached reason. As his attraction becomes an obsession, Venice is taken over by cholera. His passion makes leaving impossible. A glance from Tadzio makes Aschenbach rise from his chair only to collapse and die.  

Aschenbach’s travel to Venice is as internal as it is physical. The initial confusion of the mind that makes him unable to write is lifted at the sight of Tadzio, whom Aschenbach sees as the embodiment of ancient Greek beauty. Yet, the aesthetic appreciation quickly plunges Aschenbach into an internal conflict between his rational mind and his passion for the boy.

Mark le Brocq as Gustav von Aschenbach. Photo credit Johan Persson.

Olivia Fuchs, who directs this production, weaves together the different elements of music, video, acrobatics, costumes, and song with great efficacy. A black and white video is projected onto the background. It alternates depictions of the sea, at times choppy and at times smooth, Venice almost as a shadow, and Tadzio up close. The most intense moment is when Aschenbach, played by a wonderful Mark Le Brocq, is alone and the scene has nothing but a picture of Tadzio. Throughout the opera, Le Brocq excels in intensity and harrowing beauty. 

Alexander Chance as The Voice of Apollo, Mark le Brocq as Gustav von Aschenbach, and Roderick Williams as The Voice of Dionysus. Photo credit Johan Persson.

Aschenbach’s internal anguish mirrors the Nietzschean theme of the conflict between Apollo, god of reason, and Dionysus, god of passion. The battle between Apollo and Dionysus unfolds musically in the contrast between the countertenor voice of Alexander Chance as Apollo and the deep baritone voice of Roderick Williams as Dionusus. This is heightened by the juxtaposition of Apollo, dressed in a golden suit, and Dionysus, in a red suit, against the black and white background of the chorus, dressed in white when playing the hotel guests, and in black as Venetians. 

Baritone Roderick Williams and countertenor Alexander Chance are equally enthralling. Tadzio has no voice; rather he embodies beauty through movement to a percussion music which Britten developed drawing on Balinese gamelan. The choice of sensual acrobatics performed beautifully by Anthony César of NoFit State Circus, directed by Firenza Guidi, conveys powerfully the Greek idea of beauty. The homoerotic acrobatic duel between Tadzio and another boy, performed by Riccardo Frederico Saggese, is allusive yet restrained. The result is mesmerising. 

On a minor note, the production could have made better use of light design to emphasise Aschenbach’s internal turmoil. Overall, it is one of the best productions the WNO has given us.

Antony César as Tadzio, Riccardo Frederico Saggese as Jaschiu, and the cast of Death in Venice. Photo credit Johann Persson.

Circus

Review, Alegría: In A New Light, Cirque du Soleil, Royal Albert Hall, London by James Ellis

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

I wanted to see more of this stalwart of the circus world. I’m amazed by the number of people who turn up to see them. Now, even with Alegría one of Cirque du Soleil’s older shows has been revised and dubbed ‘In a New Light’.

Whilst I remained impressed by the international effort from a range of the circus spectrum, the novelty can wear off quite quickly. The clowns were just that little too childish, the only thing for the adults was a very suggestive cleaning of a gun motif which went on for years. There is universal humor, though the British like things a bit more angular. Flame eaters wowed with their circular fury. Ariel acts dazzled with grace and spirit. The singers belt out the same unrelenting refrain of ALEGRÍA just a little too much, though other songs are sweet and loving. Even the clowns made fun of this when the title song came up on their radio during a clean up of paper snow spread across the promenade and stalls.

Director Franco Dragone, with creative director Gilles Ste-Croix have created a show which would have held more weight back in its day. The costumes by Dominique Lemieux recall the golden era of fashion not quite circus eras but Art-Deco, Gothic and more. Composer René Dupéré wrote an award winning plush score not afraid to get really soupy or even rocky heavy. I realised that the acts are very similar from other shows, I guess it’s just the trappings which change. The athletic prowess  ever wants…it’s the pacing which struggles. A hock story about a crystal king is very slight and the clowns play a role in this, with little of so called plot development.

Most will find lots to love in Alegría: In A New Light. I think i’ll take a break for a while from the all consuming circus spectacle.

Alegría: In A New Light runs at the Royal Albert Hall till 3rd March, then on tour in Spain.