|
|
|
|
|
Roll up, down, round and over
Cirque Berserk
Birmingham Rep
**** IT is amazing what the human body is
capable of – although to be honest mine declined to be involved in this
discussion. It was not really a matter of don’t as can’t try
this at home, and certainly not without a chiropractor standing by as
the circus came to town. It brought with it the traditional acts we grew
up with in the days of big tops and Charlie Cairoli, acts such as
Toni the Czech knife thrower, or Germaine, the fabulous foot juggler
from France. Then we had Odka, a young lady from Mongolia who managed to
squeeze herself in a bell jar and then shot a bow and arrow with her
feet in a sort of contorted handstand, hitting the target near centre to
boot. Then there was Luciano Gabriel who gave us
Flamenco with balls, well bolas really, from Argentina and all to a
pulsating beat. Amazing acrobats came from Africa with the
Timbuktu Tumblers while Cuba provided the Tropicana Troupe who flew
through the air with the greatest of ease, most of the time, from a
springboard. Duo Benelo from France showed hand to hand
balancing while Kremina dispensed with the need for a man in her act
balancing instead on a tiny pedestal no bigger than her hand. There is Zula, Mongolia again, with a tower of
chairs and England’s Stephanie and Jackie balancing high on aerial silks
and straps. For fun there is Tweedy, a clown from Scotland
who mixes clownish daftness, a little overdone at times, with circus
skills including a tandem turned into a unicycle and slack rope walking. To go with the dramatic music is a huge robot, hiding Billy, again from England, which was dramatic but didn’t seem to have a purpose, and indeed a similar accusation could be made about a couple of parades that made their way across stage, one with some unfortunate giant creature's head on a cart. What was that all about? The acts are good, very good in some cases,
That is not surprising, after all, it might be
classed as modern, contemporary or theatrical circus, but it is still
circus – complete with glamorous dancers with feather tails.
And any circus needs a big finale. I still
remember the thrill as a child when Blackpool Tower Circus flooded the
ring, as it still does, for its water spectacular ending. For Cirque
Berserk it is motorbikes which bring both acts and the show to a close.. Remember the Wall of Death? This is the ball of
death, are more accurately Globe of Death, a steel mesh globe structure
which allows vertical as well as horizontal looping. If that sounds
pretty scary then make it four motorbikes of the Lucius Team from Brazil
looping and whirling around and then chuck in a glamorous if somewhat
insane assistant who for a few moments stands amid all this whirling
machinery with just a smile for protection. To be fair there were only three bikes passing
within inches of her so her survival chances were 25 per cent better
than they could have been. Circus acts can be dangerous especially without
safety nets or lines, but you can literally taste the danger of the
Globe of Death amid the noise and hint of exhaust fumes. One error and
there is a four bike pile up. The act has also lived up to its name. At least
three people have died in Globe of Death acts since the war and riders
know a crash usually means a minimum of broken bones.The world record is
six riders and an assistant all at one time, incidentally. With more than 30 jugglers, acrobats and circus
artists and a pulsating soundtrack the show keeps up a high tempo, which
perhaps papers over a lack of direction and continuity. There is no
introduction, explanation or ringmaster hyperbole; act follows act at
breakneck speed. It is fast, furious, fun and, to be honest, the
mad bikers from Brazil are worth the price of the ticket alone. To
22-03-15 Roger Clarke
19-03-15
|
|
|
|
with
the bolas of Luciano Gabriel a spectacular addition to the circus genre
– he was joined by Germaine in his act – and all are typical circus acts
we have grown up with the lady in a bottle perhaps more side show than
big top but we will let that pass.