festival DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE
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CIRQUE BERSERK! Step right up for tickling and thrilling family entertainment
The pace never slackens in this slick, zesty serving of knowingly Vegas-style variety circus acts, spotlighting a big international cast. The performance is wall-to-wall fun, striking just the right balance between the genuine and the tongue-in-cheek. It also looks and i ts great in this venue. Attention is grabbed from the get-go by the seven waistcoated, somersaulting Timbuktu Tumblers. Chief among other hit performers are Bolas Argentinas, featuring the macho camp of a showbiz gaucho who patently loves rufl ing his own long, curly black hair by fastly spinning two weighted balls on cords, and the Czech knife-thrower who sends lethal instruments l ying in the direction of a blissfully beaming female counterpart.
Or the oh-so-deft French female foot juggler. Or the quasi-i erce Tropicana Troupe from Cuba, feather-adorned specialists of teeter board jumps. Or, without doubt, the insanely thrilling Lucius Team, whose four bikers zoom at speed inside a circular cage known as the Globe of Death: inhaling petrol fumes has never been such a kick.
Even the Brazilian clowns are delightful. Dubbed the Mustache Brothers, their characterful brand of adept knockabout outclasses most of what you’d see at Cirque du Soleil, leaving you grinning throughout the entire 75 minutes of this generous slab of happy-making entertainment. (Donald Hutera) ■ Pleasance @ EICC, until 26 Aug (not 22), times vary, £15.50–£19.50 (£10–£15) ●●●●●
15–27 Aug 2018 THE LIST FESTIVAL 63