Rasposo, Le Fou de Bassan

Review in Issue 8-1 | Spring 1996

Dasposo's Le Fou de Bassin reminded me of Mozart Balls, those prettily wrapped chocolates bearing a portrait of the maestro which are made in Vienna and sold to the tourists. The show is circus for culture vultures, an attempt to 'recreate the magic of Eighteenth Century circus theatre'. Small-scale opera, without singing. With only a brief spoken introduction to each of the characters and a minimal narrative structure, the show was accompanied by a slightly soporific score of Mozart, Vivaldi and Rameau. With plenty of Gallic whimsy but circus skills of less then the highest calibre, the real star of the show is the craftsmanship and the direction. From these slight elements, as well as costumes and a set reminiscent of Venice gift shop postcards, Fanny and Joseph Moiliens evoke a real sense of place, time and event, through their careful management of a constantly changing stage picture.

Less idiosyncratic or inventive than the equally whimsical Cirque Plume or Cirque du Dr Paradis who visited England last year, and on a smaller scale than the spectacular French Canadian Cirque du Soleil, this show would look wonderful on the lawn of a National Trust property. This type of well presented confectionery has already proved a hit on the arts pages of the national broadsheets, but may well irritate those looking for something with more fibre.

Artforms
Presenting Artists
Presenting Venue
Date Seen
  1. Jan 1996

This article in the magazine

Issue 8-1
p. 21