Circolombia regularly put on an exciting and entertaining show and, true to form, this year at the Underbelly Festival their self-titled offering is exhilarating, fun and family friendly.
Everything about Circolombia feels like a celebration thanks to a strong combination of dancing, music and song mixed with the strength and the versatility of the performers that make for awe-inspiring viewing.
The long-running German production Soap makes a splash on the UK scene this year, performing in the round for the first time, and filling the Underbelly’s stylish Spiegeltent with bathtubs, opera singing, slick acrobatic bodies and classic clowning dressed down in swim cap and galoshes.
Shift is an interesting development for Barely Methodical and, while those seeking the cheeky and laddish lightheartedness of previous shows may be left a little wanting, there is no doubt that the production is top quality.
Love London Love Culture’s Emma Clarendon spoke to director Felicity Simpson about Circolombia, playing at the Underbelly Festival from the 24 May 2018.
The wonderful circus-theatre production of Circusy Caterpillar is cleverly written and colourful, with a vibrant soundtrack of rock, pop and disco songs that keep the room alive alongside the simple storytelling of mime and rhyming voice-over.
With a reworking of the dance routines by a choreographer and the sexualised gestures and motifs replaced by explorative circus skills, Soap will clean up into a subtly subverting show rather than a brash predictable one.
If you want to spend an hour of pure entertainment and have some fun into the bargain, don’t miss Soap – as long as you don’t mind getting a little damp!
Flowing seamlessly from beginning to end, SOAP not only has a great energy about it but also is a reminder of why 250 years on circus is still considered fascinating to audiences as a form of entertainment.
