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David Porter » Entries tagged with "circus"

Risque Zero

Compagnie Galapiat, Gt Yarmouth Hippodrome part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 27 May 2013 While contemporary, edgy, experimental, zany circus knows no boundaries, the French seem to have cornered the market. Risque Zero proved the point. In the great Hippodrome arena this young company of six created a moving, never-the-same, never-static piece of surreal madness with a talented virtuosity that was stunning. This was not traditional circus in any sense, yet it drew on the traditions of commedia dell’Arte, the Circus of Horrors, the Marquis de Sade and a breathtaking agility that chimed perfectly with the needs of pure entertainment. Mouth ping-pong was totally original. It explored exciting, escalating risk, so we had scenes involving axes, sledgehammers, darts, knives, fire, explosions, teeterboard, Chinese pole and ring juggling … Read entire article »

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Compagnie Bam

Hippodrome Circus, Gt Yarmouth Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 11 September 2012 A riot of anarchic, electrifying contemporary circus came to town as part of the Out There Festival. Nowadays performers must be magnificent tumblers and acrobats, and then brilliant comedians, musicians, singers and dancers! Compagnie Bam are five energetic masters of the Chinese pole and teeterboard who began with a warning not to use phones or cameras by smashing some examples up. From then on, surreal was normal, with characters entering as if inmates from an historical asylum. They made every routine look easy, cavorting skilfully through fast-paced madcap lunacy of the inspired kind, interacting comically and absurdly. Three giant planks and two massive mattresses supported Olympic-standard gymnastics. A darker sequence in the middle explored the borders of gender. A crazy drummer … Read entire article »

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Le Grand C

Compagnie XY in Le Grand C at the Hippodrome, Gt Yarmouth, part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2012. Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 28 May 2012 The Hippodrome’s traditional arena was the perfect staging for a show that took circus art form in new directions. French ensemble Compagnie XY presented Le Grand C, a piece of theatre combining circus acrobatics with physical theatre and choreography. It was beautifully measured, slow and mysteriously dream-like at the start as the scale of performance skills were displayed. Four-person towers and pyramids were created, then carefully gave way to new controlled contortions. All 17 in the troupe relished tumbles, mid-air somersaults and flying from one cluster to another, literally. It was a fusion of observational mime and physicality, demanding and challenging. There were bundles and clever, amusing … Read entire article »

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Duane Eddy

Duane Eddy at the Hippodrome Circus, Great Yarmouth, part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2012. Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 21 May 2012.   Somebody in the crowd flocking to see Duane Eddy in concert expressed surprise that he is still alive! The late 50s/early 60s rock and roll legend, the man voted more popular in the UK in 1960 than Elvis Presley, is very much alive and rocking. The rebel rouser who invented the ‘guitar twang’ and sold 100 million records gave a command performance of his classic hits, from the first Movin’ & Groovin’, which influenced the early surfing sound, to contemporary songs off his current album, Road Trip. His influences from country music to rock were evident. He’s worked with and inspired musicians in many genres over the decades; it … Read entire article »

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Hippodrome Circus, Yarmouth: Historic, Cultural, Showbiz Palace

A unique, custom-built circus at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK appeals equally to nostalgists, historians, and lovers of all-round family entertainment. ‘Hippodrome’ is from the Greek, meaning a stadium for horse/chariot racing, equivalent to the Roman circus. It was neither amphitheatre (sports, games), nor theatre as such. Over the years many British theatres and places of general entertainment were named Hippodrome. The one at Great Yarmouth is a circus. Standing just off the seafront, surrounded by the somewhat run-down faded glory of seaside entertainments and catering, the magnificent edifice of the Hippodrome rises up, proud and welcoming. The Theatres Trust calls it a “building of outstanding importance”, pointing out there are only two purpose-built permanent circuses in Britain (the other is Blackpool Tower Circus) still in full working order, and probably only four or … Read entire article »

Filed under: Articles at Suite 101

Circus Is All-Round Entertainment

On Film or on Sawdust, Thrill-Seekers Love Circus Spectacle Today’s sophisticated all-age audiences are still thrilled by animal-free Big Tops. Film of circus, film about circus or live circus – there is no show on earth like it. Troupes like Cirque du Soleil bring to the circus genre, a standard of live performance skills that is second to none. Whether in a tent, a theatre, an arena or on film, circus spectacle is unique, enjoying a rich history and a bright future as people demand and enjoy more spectacle, more thrills, more integrated performing arts. Definition of Spectacle One definition of spectacle is an event or situation, memorable for the appearance it creates. “Stop making a spectacle of yourself”, is still a well-used and understood exhortation. It inspired most comic moments on stage, in … Read entire article »

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No Fit Circus

Earlham Park, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 7 May 2008 No Fit Circus The best way to enjoy this is to leave previous notions of circus at home. Be prepared to do different. For a start, it’s a promenade event – yes, you walk about, enjoy it in different corners of a huge space tent-cum-big top. There is never only one focus. Stages appear between and above the scaffolding and pillars. Now a traverse between two performances, then suddenly the cross lines and edges come into play. Walking about to see a new item or get a better view seems natural. A sense of fun, wackiness and self-parody flow from the mainly young cast. Yet the circus trapeze and balancing skills are impressive. More than novelty, we admire the dedication, precision and timing. Fast-moving – … Read entire article »

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Le Grande Cirque

Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 8 October 2008 Le Grande Cirque A show billed  by some as the next Cirque du Soleil has a lot to live up to.  Le Grande Cirque meets all such expectations head-on. The current show crashes into the senses with a riot of colour, sound, music, fabulous costumes and skills in acrobatics that are jaw dropping. Contemporary circus (no animals, naturally) is the ultimate fusion of dance, drama and music. This is pure performance art. The range of acts is breathtaking. Pole acrobatics, contortion artists, a ladder troupe and plate spinning with dancing that gives a whole new meaning to multi-tasking. The second half raises the tempo even further. There is an ultra-violet sequence, nine on a bicycle, the impeccable timing of tumbling through moving hoops and a … Read entire article »

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Circus of Horrors

Marina Theatre, Lowestoft Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 3 March 2005 Circus of Horrors A circus of horror may seem like a contradiction in terms, and this was indeed a whole mix of deliberate contradictions. It was a concoction of the Rocky Horror Show, Frankenstein, the Victorian freak show, a surreal end-of-pier variety and Madame Tussaud’s chamber of horrors roadshow with The Danse Macabre. Grateful to have taken my seat before the abuse of the warm ups was directed at latecomers, I never relaxed into the show. But that was the point. A large versatile cast, complemented by a powerful light display and thumping live rock music, assaulted the audience with physical theatre, offbeat comedy and some stunning genuine circus skills. The six-inch nail driven into the nose, the sword swallower, the ladder of swords, … Read entire article »

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