Circa’s mission statement boldly claims that they have ‘created a boutique contemporary artform from the traditional languages of circus’, suggesting that contemporary circus prefers to preserve its traditional forms rather than seek new pathways or modernise its media. Their route to this ‘new frontier’ in circus arts is through a refocusing on the human body, […]

2012 saw the loss of two greats of the last two decades of British dance – Gill Clarke and Nigel Charnock, both radically different from each other, but each carving distinctive careers as performers before expanding into choreography and beyond. With Dance Umbrella 2012 dedicated to the memory of both, it is fitting to see […]

Paring live performance right back to its very core, The Devil’s Violin Company present us with a deep, dark evening of ancient stories. Tautly told and expert at drawing us in, the three rich tales are each interwoven with moreish, mesmerising live music that is as much a part of each story as its carefully […]

Portuguese performer Guilherme Garrido casually sits atop the feet of the Belgian Pieter Ampe, who lays beneath him with his legs in the air. This human erection provided by Ampe looks far from comfortable as Garrido greets the entering audience with a casual informality, as if he has all the time in the world. He […]

Matt and Joey are two child-adults who live together in a disco bunker underground. They’ve been here awhile, though not so long their spirits arereally getting low, and when they do feel down they cheer themselves up with a bit of hip-hop music on the turntable, maybe a synchronised dance routine. Occasionally they still try using […]