ED2015 5/5 Reviews ED2015 Physical Reviews

BARBU Electro Trad Cabaret (Underbelly Productions and Cirque Alfonse)

By Daisy Malt | Published on Thursday 20 August 2015

Canadian troupe Cirque Alfonse have turned traditional circus upside down: this show is not for the faint-hearted. Yes, ‘BARBU’ features the customary acrobatics, magic and juggling, but they’ve been turbocharged and turned up to 11. Sound-tracked by its own astonishing electro trad band, this is a silly, sexy circus rave, crammed with breathtaking, gravity-defying manoeuvres and tests of skill. The performers appear to possess superhuman strength, pushing their bodies to the very limits of possibility. It could tread the line of pretension, were it not for the fact that the show is infused with great humour, making it funny and mesmerising all at once. Expect beards, roller skates, golf clubs, a human disco ball and much, much more.

Underbelly’s Circus Hub on The Meadows, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Daisy Malt]