Underbelly Circus Hub Report 2015 by Underbelly

2015 EVENT REPORT

Photo credit: Tim Edgeler for Digital Triangle

Table of Contents

Introduc7on Why Circus Hub? The Circus Hub Programme Audience Figures and Arts Industry & Touring Awards and Press Response Social Media Response Opera7onal Overview Installa7on Period and Environmental Impact Neighbourhood Engagement Neighbourhood Survey Community Engagement Summary Appendix A: Press CuQngs Appendix B: Brochure Contact Informa7on

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Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Introduc<on

Circus Hub was a venue created by Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fes7val Fringe 2015. Located on the Meadows, it presented a programme of contemporary circus in two temporary circus venues, as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fes7val within a fes7valâ&#x20AC;? at the Fringe. It ran from 7-29 August 2015 with 13 contras7ng pieces of contemporary circus, alongside a series of family circus workshops and an engagement programme for young people from Edinburgh. This was a ďŹ rst for Edinburgh: one site providing the largest and most technically ambi7ous programme of circus that the Fringe has ever seen.

Photo crediit: Fraser Cameron

Why Circus Hub?

As respected producers of contemporary circus year round, Underbelly are responding to the growing audience for this ar_orm within the UK and at the Edinburgh fes7vals. Underbelly also understand the technical and financial challenges that face producers and performers of contemporary circus and bringing such shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. In crea7ng Circus Hub, Underbelly wanted to establish a venue to respond to the growing audience and to answer these challenges facing contemporary circus: providing the technical facili7es and personnel that contemporary circus requires and a financial arrangement different from the usual Fringe model. Given the par7cular requirements of contemporary circus, Underbelly’s idea was to create a thriving focus for the genre: a Hub. A Hub where we could deliver on the requirements for producers and ar7sts, where crea7vity could flourish and into which audiences could immerse themselves and explore the mul7plicity of what contemporary circus offers.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

The Programme

The inaugural Circus Hub programme illustrated the depth and diversity of contemporary circus. It tangibly demonstrated to audiences the different approaches of various cultures and countries to contemporary circus. The programme included work made in seven different countries, with performers from ten different countries (the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic, Pales7ne, Germany and the USA), totalling over 100 different performers and suppor7ng show crew. In delivering this programme we engaged with key programming partners including UK based circus charity Crying Out Loud, interna7onal physical theatre promoters Aurora Nova, the French Ins7tute, the Na7onal Centre For Circus Arts and Scotland’s Full Cirqle and Impact Arts. The programme included three world premieres, two European premieres, three UK premieres, and four Edinburgh Fringe premieres.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

The Programme, contd.

The shows in the 2015 programme were: Barely Methodical Troupe: Bromance (UK) Circa: Close Up (Australia) Cirk La Putyka: Dolls (Czech Republic) Cirque Alfonse: Barbu (Canada) Cirque Le Roux: The Elephant In The Room (France) Los Muchachos: La Meute/The Wolfpack (France) Lost In Transla7on Circus: The Hogwallops (Italy/Australia/UK) Ockham’s Razor: Arc and Every AcDon (UK) Pales7nian Circus: B-Orders (Pales7ne) Piﬀ The Magic Dragon (UK) T1J: Les Inouis (Belgium) Trash Test Dummies (Australia) Underbelly, Strut & Fret and Southbank Centre: LIMBO (UK/Australia) A copy of the brochure with full details of the programme is included as an appendix to this document.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Audience Figures

Circus Hub created a democra7c and accessible pla_orm for audiences to enjoy contemporary circus, and in response to this audiences bought 47,832 7ckets for the 13 shows that played at the venue.

Arts Industry & Future Touring

Over 200 7ckets were issued to Fringe-accredited arts-industry professionals to see Circus Hub shows. Following their appearances in the 2015 programme and as a result of being seen at Circus Hub by arts-industry professionals, at the 7me of wri7ng this report, Circus Hub shows have been booked for a combined total of 176 weeks of touring in 14 diďŹ&#x20AC;erent countries with numerous other oďŹ&#x20AC;ers in the pipeline.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Awards and Press Response

Circus Hub enjoyed an unprecedented response from the press at the fes7val, in ScoQsh and UK press and interna7onally, across print, broadcast and digital. An appendix of press cuQngs is included with this report. Three Circus Hub produc7ons were nominated in the best Circus category at the Total Theatre Awards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the major award for Circus at the Fes7val: La Meute, Elephant In the Room and B-Orders. This represented half of the overall nomina7ons in the category. B-Orders went on to win the award (shared with with Smoke and Mirrors at Assembly Fes7val).

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Social Media Response

Circus Hub enjoyed high levels of engagement on social media. Some examples of comments were: Susanna McLean @Susanna_McLeanAug 29: Loving the Underbelly's Circus Hub at the Meadows! Such a cool‫ ‏‬ venue. Robust Robot @sevenhelz Aug 11: Now at the underbelly circus hub for FOUR SHOWS IN A ROW. It looks like a‫ ‏‬ preXy sweet set-up @edfringe #edfringe Richard Delaney @RichardDDelaney Aug 29: I bloody love @followthecow's Circus Hub‫ !‏‬ Mel Jingle @mellywho Aug 24: I went to see Limbo at the Circus Hub, on the Meadows. I le\ in complete awe and‫ ‏‬ needing to go for a walk to compute. @FollowTheCow

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Opera<onal Overview

The Circus Hub was situated on the Meadows between Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brigade Walk and Middle Meadow Walk. The programme ran from 11.25am to 12 midnight daily from 7-29 August 2015 (shorter that the rest of the Fes7val Fringe which ran from 5-31 August). The programme was presented in two Freedome temporary structures with respec7ve capaci7es of 750 and 250. The tents were named aoer the renowned Great Lafayepe, one of the most famous circus and music hall entertainers of the early 20th century, and his dog Beauty, both of whom died in Edinburgh in 1911.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Installa<on Period and Environmental Impact

Underbelly’s original tender for Circus Hub was for a 29 day period from 4 August to 1 September 2015 (comprising a three day installa7on period, a 23 day opera7onal period, and a three day de-installa7on period). The 23 days opera7onal period is in line with CEC’s Parks Manifesto. Following on from the tender, it became apparent that the installa7on period was too short to install and accommodate – both logis7cally and safely - the technical facili7es required by the the shows and the venues themselves. As a result, Underbelly requested a four day extension to the installa7on period, star7ng on 31 July, extending the overall period to 33 days. Underbelly paid an addi7onal fee for these extra days. The de-installa7on period was completed by 1 September 2015, with some items of plant being collected on 2 September 2015.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Installa<on Period and Environmental Impact, contd.

During the installa7on period and during the erec7on of the Lafayepe dome tent on 3 August, the tent cover was caught by a gust of wind, causing damage to the cover and requiring the tent to be completely de-constructed and the cover repaired before the tent could be re-built. This caused a signiďŹ cant delay to the opening of the Lafayepe and shows did not open in the tent un7l 10 August.

Reinstatement

The grass at the site was re-instated by CEC staďŹ&#x20AC; following Underbellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s period of use and as part of the process and to reduce the damage to the grass, the area was sprayed with a retardant called primo maxx growth regulator. Anecdotal evidence was that the grass in the area was reinstated no later than in previous years.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Neighbourhood Engagement

Underbelly engaged with residen7al neighbours in the following ways: •  We briefed the South and Central Neighbourhood Partnership in June 2015. •

We wrote in July to all residen7al neighbours in the EH3 9, EH8 9, and EH9 1 postcode areas, giving details of the event and the programme and providing an email address and telephone number to report any issues or concerns to.

•

We oﬀered half-price 7ckets to residen7al neighbours in the EH3 9, EH8 9, and EH9 1 postcode areas.

•

We provided a session at Circus Hub during the middle of the opera7onal period for Ward Councillors and residen7al neighbours to give feedback at.

Neighbourhood Response •

One email from residents was received early in the opera7onal period of Circus Hub, complaining about sound levels. The sound levels were adjusted and no further or other complaints or issues were received either by telephone or email from this resident or others.

•

370 7ckets were sold under the half price oﬀer to residents from the EH3 9, EH8 9, and EH9 1 postcode areas.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Neighbourhood Survey

Underbelly conducted a survey of residents and their aQtudes to the new Circus Hub site. The residents were from the EH3 9, EH8 9 and EH9 1 postcode areas. 36 responses were received. A summary of the responses from residents is as follows (and overleaf):

“On a scale of 1 (very dissa<sfied) to 5 (very sa<sfied) how sa<sfied were you with the shows that you saw?” 94.12% of respondents replied with a score in the top two responses, 4/5 or 5/5. 70.59% answering in the top score. “How well organized did you think Circus Hub was on a scale of 1 (not well) to 5 (very well)?” 90.91% of respondents answered either 4/5 or 5/5. 100% of responses in the top three categories. “Do you think Circus Hub on the Meadows was worse or beZer as an experience than the previous Fringe tenant?” 67.65% answered either “beper” or “much beper” 0% answered “worse or much worse” With the remainder answering “the same” or “no opinion”.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Neighbourhood Survey, contd.

A summary of the responses from residents con7nues:

“Did you think that the impact of Circus Hub on the Meadows was worse or beZer than the previous Fringe tenant?” 43.33% answered “beper” or “much beper” 0% answered “worse or much worse” With 56.67% answering “the same” or “no opinion”. “Would you like to see Circus Hub return to the Meadows in 2016?” 81.25 answered “yes” 0% answered “no” With 18.75% answering “no opinion”

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Neighbourhood Survey, contd.

Further feedback from residents included: “Noise travels easily but it ends early enough for it not to be a bother” “First impressions all posiDve, hope it returns next year” “Seemed to be built and removed very efficiently” “Less noise, no one actually living in caravans, less bad behaviour and liXer late into the night and also less noise heard inside our home which was a massive bonus as far as we are concerned” “Very professionally run, much less rowdy than previous events and less liXer” “Great atmosphere and great locaDon for the circus events” “Excellent entertainment for the whole family” “The bar should have been open to all, not just those with Dckets used mostly by staff and performers and many bar staff unoccupied.” “Great, posiDve, fun addiDon to the meadows in the fringe”

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Community Engagement

Underbelly believes passionately in breaking down the barriers between young people and the arts, and Circus Hub provided an opportunity for Underbelly to engage with young people from the local Edinburgh community in two key programmes. (1) Work Placement Scheme Working with local Edinburgh charity, Impact Arts, Underbelly designed a week-long programme for 16 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Edinburgh to engage in work placements at Circus Hub, including in stage management, technical, box office, front of house, PR and marke7ng. The goals were to introduce young people to possible careers that they might otherwise have found difficult to access, and to encourage the benefits of full-7me educa7on and training and seeking qualifica7ons. The project was paid for by Underbelly. As Sarah Wallace, OpportuniDes Co ordinator, from Impact Arts said “For the young people who undertook a placement with Underbelly this year over the Fringe FesDval was invaluable work experience in the CreaDve Arts which otherwise they would not have been able to access. The placement gave them wide and varied experience in what it would be like to work in various sectors from front of house, sound and lighDng etc. For many of our young people this cemented their ambiDon to work in the creaDve arts in the future.”

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Community Engagement, contd.

Underbelly believes passionately in breaking down the barriers between young people and the arts, and Circus Hub provided a great opportunity for Underbelly to engage with young people from the local Edinburgh community in two key programmes. (2) Circus Workshops We worked with Edinburgh Circus training centre Full Cirqle to engage young people directly in contemporary circus arts, through a series of workshops. The programme of workshops were aimed to give the local Edinburgh audience – and par7cularly young families - the chance to try out a range of diﬀerent circus arts including acroba7cs, hula hoop, juggling and aerial skills such as trapeze. Full Cirqle delivered the workshops and the cost was met by Underbelly, supplemented by a small 7cket price from par7cipants. Feedback from Full Cirqle: “We had a good run with happy families and happy workshop leaders… We would be very interested in being part of the Underbelly programme next year.”

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

Summary

Underbelly answered a clarion call from audiences and contemporary circus companies from around the world for a Circus Hub at the Edinburgh Fes7vals, and created a democra7cally accessible site and programme, which audiences responded to in their tens of thousands in the ďŹ rst year. For our contemporary circus companies, Circus Hub provided the best technical set up for the ar_orm at the Edinburgh fes7vals; and the press coverage, the awards and the amount of future touring and other work that the companies have received is a testament to the success that they enjoyed at Circus Hub. Underbelly directly engaged with the neighbourhood and community in Edinburgh: both with local residents to communicate with them directly about Circus Hub and to minimise any nega7ve impact or disturbance from Circus Hub; and with the wider Edinburgh community with the work placement scheme and the family circus workshops. The response from press, social media and from residen7al neighbours to Circus Hub has been resoundingly posi7ve and we believe that we have created an exci7ng and valuable new addi7on to the Edinburgh Fringe that with con7nued support from stakeholders, we can develop and grow for the beneďŹ t of Edinburgh and its fes7vals.

Photo credit: Sarah Hickson

APPENDIX A: 2015 PRESS CUTTINGS

CIRCUS HUB IN THE PRESS

“Circus Hub is the talk of the clown” Edinburgh Evening News “Skilled and rather sexy, circus joins Edinburgh’s Fes7val Fringe” Guardian “The Greatest show on earth descends upon us, and things may never be the same again” The List “Circus reimagined” The Herald “Stands apart from other Circus Acts” Edinburgh Evening News

CIRCUS HUB

B-ORDERS !

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! Publication: Three Weeks ! Date: 26th August 2015

B#ORDERS! !

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In this powerful and moving peice Ashtar Muallem and Fadi Zmorrod use circus to demonstrate the cultural and political situation in Palestine, and the emotions generated by it. Though specific to Palestine, this piece has reliability that crosses International borders. Using a minimalist stage set, Fadi and Muallem cleverly form cultural structures with building blocks. They walk among the borders that were marked to them by history, and destroy them in frustration. This piece eloquently gives a voice to the feelings of the younger generations of Palestine, a voice that is not often heard in western media. Mark this as a must watch piece on your fringe list. !

BARBU !

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! ! ! Publication: Edinburgh Evening News ! 2015 Date: 26th August

BARBU !

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BROMANCE !

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! Publication: Fest Date: 11th August 2015!

BROMANCE! ! ! ! !

! It's a joy to see a show that feels as though it's doing something genuinely new –!and Bromance generates exactly that excitement. With skill but also with humour and pathos, young circus trio Barely Methodical Troupe have crafted something fresh, funny and original. ! Their genius is to take the trust and intimacy inherent in the high-stakes feats of circus and acrobatics and use it to explore modern male friendships. It starts with a handshake and snakes out into acts that unpack all the uncertainty, bravado and tension in how men relate to each other physically. Charlie Wheeller, Louis Gift and Beren D'Amico make brilliant use of Beauty, the smaller tent in Underbelly's new Circus Hub, to pace out the shifting dynamics of their onstage personas. This is circus as physical theatre, even silent comedy at times – particularly Wheeller's Chaplin-esque haplessness as he tries to fit in. From their discrepancies in height to their differing physiques, the three men leave nothing out of their act. Their chemistry leaps off the stage with the same force that they jump into each others' arms. Sometimes it's hilarious; other times, there's real beauty and vulnerability in their breathtaking acrobatics. Every move tells a story. Wheeller's use of the Cyr wheel is a show-stopping moment, graceful and poised as he circles the floor in it. But from cheesy dances to backflips, what really makes Bromance extraordinary is how ringingly true it feels. As the three men cling to each other, this is circus with its finger on the pulse of today.

Publication: Three Weeks Date: 27th August 2015

BROMANCE

Fusing physical theatre and contemporary circus, Bromance is a beguiling portrayal of friendship and masculinity. Beginning with a handshake, the show builds into a simple yet exquisite narrative that actually gave me goose bumps. Very few words are used as Beren D’Amico, Charlie Wheeler and Louis Gift use their bodies and cheeky personalities to develop the story, alongside very effectively selected music. Exploring trust, support and camaraderie, the display is beautifully choreographed, mixing in elements of anticipation and plenty of humour. It could only really end with a standing ovation, which the boys fully deserved for their expert performance. I must confess that I enjoyed this imaginative, original show so much that I am planning to see it again.

DOLLS

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Publication: The Stage Date: 24th August 2015

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

The Elephant in the Room, Cirque le Roux by Nick Awde - Aug 24, 2015 In a sumptuous mansion during the decadent 1930s, a glamorous gold-digger plots to get rid of her new husband, a hoodlum in black tie desperate to impress his high society guests who include a libidinous American, all waited upon by a bumbling butler. Everyone knows that everyone else is out to grab something – sex, money, murder, even – but social niceties mean that they are never mentioned, hence the elephant in the room. It’s an excellent premise for the near non-verbal theatre of this darkly decadent piece from Canada’s Cirque le Roux. In between the plots and subplots, circus skills and slapstick integrate with the plot – like a physical musical – replacing dialogue with sleight of hand, balancing duets on a sofa or desk, swivelling atop a tailor’s dummy and an energetic sexual duet/duel between the American and the butler. A powerful and exquisitely designed setpiece is the Tchaikovsky ballet quartet where the gold-digger is flung high into the air as two corps of frilled lamp shades join in the mayhem. Meanwhile, a steady soundtrack neatly sets the mood from Billie Holiday to Frank Sinatra. Directed by Charlotte Saliou and choreographed by Brad Musgrove, the team of Gregory Arsenal, Lolita Costet, Philip Rosenberg and Yannick Thomas never once break out of character even when hamming it up for laughs or focusing on the climactic Chinese pole routine that justly earns a standing ovation. With such an ambitious and complex show there are logically niggles – the narrative can be overwhelmed by the physical side, and the set acrobatic pieces are not always as polished as they should be. But this is an intelligently conceived, stylish crowdpleaser that also pushes theatrical boundaries.

HOGWALLOPS

LA MEUTE (THE WOLFPACK) !!!!!!!!

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PUBLICATION: Broadway Baby DATE: 20th August 2015

LA MEUTE

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PUBLICATION: ScotsGay DATE: 22nd August 2015

LA MEUTE

by Katie Harrison There could not be a more accurate term for these six raucous acrobats than a wild wolf pack. Clad solely in white linen towels, scuffling on the floor one moment and moving in perfect harmony the next, this is a show where brother stands side- by-side – and sometimes on shoulder – with brother to create an hour of daredevil entertainment. With a single clean chord from one of the guitars onstage, La Meute springs fully into life; using eclectic live rhythms and haunting vocals, combined with hypnotic French Swing circus skills, the ensemble work as one to construct a playground around them where anything is possible. Throughout the performance their style evokes a delicate balance between the playful and the sombre, where tense pauses are expertly crafted to find joy in their release. The use of the Russian Swing, a moveable set-piece that can be lifted, tipped and turned upside down, is truly outstanding, provoking sharp intakes of breath as the heavy seat skims past bare bodies at breakneck speed. This is not solely an hour of tricks; the use of assorted props and set-pieces brings a strong sense of play to the stage, whether the ensemble are tying each other to wooden posts or burying themselves inside a mattress. It is excellent to see how much humour can be brought into the piece solely through comic timing and knowing looks to the audience; what surprised me slightly was the number of stunts centred around their more private areas – let’s say that every man in the audience was wincing at several points throughout the performance – which felt quite crude at times. Yet this does not detract from the jaw-dropping acrobatics featured, which are undoubtedly the highlight of the show.

by Alun Evans This wolfpack is composed of 6 young males, watching them perform feels almost like a wildlife documentary. The playfulness, sheer athleticism and stunning chemistry is a joy to behold. From the opening you can’t help but feel that the 6 wolves are deeply connected with affection and play-fighting throughout. Each wolf’s own personality shines through but when they unite thier focus alloys and amazing feats are seen. If you’ve never seen a Russian swing in action then prepare yourself, using nothing but momentum and thier combined weight the pack sends members soaring into the air! Thankfully the venue can, just barely, accommodate their height requirements. This is just the beginning of the death-defying moves that are accomplished. The split-second timing and absolute trust required are extraordinary and had the audience completely rapt. The ease with which extremely challenging acrobatics are achieved is humbling. All of this is tempered by the most intensely funny slap-stick skills and a level of intimacy that is rare to see. There did seem to be an obsession with each other’s crotches in the show with demonstrations of strength, or possibly resistance to pain, featuring highly. Which does bring me to an important point, these men are incredibly fit and wearing nothing but towels… that’s right, this show is essentially one giant extended changing room fantasy for circus fetishists. I don’t think I need to say anything else, do I?

LES INOUIS !

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! ! ! Publication: Fest Date: 25th – 31!st August 2015

LES INOUIS !

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At Underbelly’s Beauty, Belgian troupe T1J, of the stunning L’Enfant Qui, have created a stark, brooding look at the plights of migrants. Les Inouis—‘the unheard’—takes place in vignettes of melancholy dreams and garish nightmares. You can see the relationship between this piece and the style of L’Enfant Qui: the storytelling isn’t always crystal clear but the images touch you in a part of the brain that connects with the gut. A man washes up ashore and a wolf in a Cyr wheel circles, elegant but menacing. Later a woman gives birth on a slackline, her tremors reaching right along the rope. She stands, clutching the baby, teetering back and forth, and it captures brutally the terror and peril of being alone in a hostile environment, just trying to keep a child alive. It’s a circus piece that keeps growing inside you after it has finished; a performance by a company with huge empathy and unusual ways of visualising complex feelings.!

LIMBO !

Date: 22

LIMBO

Publication: The Sunday Times nd

August 2015

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! ! Limbo lights up the circus tent Reviewed by Shingi Mararike Physical!theatre!at!The!Fringe!just!got!that!little! bit!sexier.!Jumping,!spinning!and!writhing!in!and! around! the! Underbelly’s! Circus! Hub! with! rippling!muscles!and!biceps!in!abundance,!Limbo! is! the! world’s! sauciest! thrill! ride.! The! cabaret! circus! spectacular! is! downright! jawBdropping.! Seventy!minutes!of!tricks!and!illusions!that!must! be!seen!to!be!believed.! ! The! production! isn’t! just! a! collection! of! stunts! insane! enough! to! leave! Evel! Knievel! wetting! his! pants,! however.! It’s! also! an! extremely! well! put! together! piece! of! physical! theatre! with! a! just! about!feasible!narrative!unwinding!alongside!all! the!thrills,!making!it!that!much!sweeter!to!watch.! ! It! begins! with! a! black! trousered,! topless! Satan! being! expelled! from! heaven! by! a! God! figure!garbed!in!a!white!blazer!and!Dr!Martens!of!the!same!shade!(holy!hipster?).!Upon! his! fall! Satan! immediately! launches! into! an! excruciating! looking! contortionist! routine! which!underlines!the!drama!of!the!moment!and!sets!the!tone!for!the!rest!of!the!show.! ! This! is! what! makes! Limbo! such! a! breath! taking! production,! each! skit! and! each! stunt! help! vary! the! mood! of! the! performance.! The! more! light! hearted! moments! are! punctuated! by! tapdancing! and! other! more! elegant! routines;! when! the! drama! ratchets! up! and! the! stakes! are! raised,! the! show! becomes! deathBdefying.! Cue! the! sword! swallowing!and!fire!eating.!This!is!not!one!for!the!faint!hearted!or!the!squeamish;!Limbo!! triggers!a!stomachBchurning!kind!of!nervousness!in!your!average!viewer,!and!you!get!a! sense!that’s!the!whole!point.! ! If! the! show! had! one! weakness,! it! was! the! far! from! seamless! transitions! in! between! routines,! pauses! that! fragmented! the! flow! of! the! production! and! kept! the! audience! waiting!for!the!next!moment!of!aweBinspiring!amazement.!An!international!hit!and!one! can!see!why;!Limbo!is!guaranteed!to!leave!you!squirming!in!amazement.!

OCKHAM’S RAZOR

Publication: The List Date: 17th August 2015

OCKHAMS RAZOR

Clean, stylish storytelling makes for stunning circus Source: The List Date: 17 August 2015 Written by: Lucy Ribchester

! London-based Ockham’s Razor may be one of a growing crop of UK circus companies, but you won’t find a cloud swing or a trapeze in one of their shows – at least not as you’d recognise it. Instead the group creates custom-built equipment that works with the theme of each piece to bring out daring and play. In Arc, a giant metal grill is used as a life raft for three performers cast adrift. At first their games are cautious, mirroring and pleasing one another. But inevitably three’s a crowd, and when relationships bloom someone has to be odd man out. The clever thing here is the way the company uses narrative to trigger the gasp factor and danger we expect from circus – but the less said about that the better the surprises. Every Action is pure delight; four people, one enormous rope and a pulley. The best moments are the problem-solving ones, and it’s nice to see another of circus’s classic elements – clown – hinted at through hapless scrapes. In each piece, clean visuals and a clear sense of purpose leaves room for the medium’s tricksy side to be just the icing on the cake.

PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

TRASH TEST DUMMIES !

Publication: Edinburgh Festivals For Kids Date: 24th August 2015

! ! ! Publication: The Herald ! Date: 27th August 2015

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TRASH TEST DUMMIES

TRASH TEST DUMMIES !

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A trio of loveable clowns takes the audience on an enthralling adventure in this wonderful family circus show. Starting off slowly, but building momentum, these Australian performers pitch their circus and acrobatic show perfectly for families and young children. They are able to perform an inexhaustible number of tricks with the mundane wheely bin, much to the delight of the crowd. Add some juggling, classic clowning, lots of coloured balls, music and drumming to the mix and it’s clear to see why the audience love it so much. These extremely skilled performers come up with some innovative and imaginative sequences, using slow motion, helium balloons, hats and even ladders to show off their talents. The Trash Test Dummies are not afraid to embrace the unpredictability of what can happen when inviting children to come on stage with them and this is what makes the show extra special- at moments bizarre, mostly eccentric, this show is an hour very well spent! With all the noise in the theatre, it’s easy to forget the Trash Test Dummies are mostly silent performers ! Everything is indeed awesome if you’re part of their team – get your tickets and join them in taking out the trash… My mini-reviewers say: “The funniest part was when they were carrying an empty bin and the man who was meant to be in it was actually behind them playing the harmonica.” “The best part was when they were drumming the bins with the juggling clubs, and the ladder – when they were using the ladder – that was cool too”

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Photo crediit: Fraser Cameron

APPENDIX B: VENUE BROCHURE

BAck Cover

For more informa<on: Charlie Wood, Underbelly Ltd, 5 Bywell Place, London, W1T 3DN Email: charlie@underbelly.co.uk Tel: 020 7307 8480