Showing @ Underbelly Bristo Square, Edinburgh until Mon 25 Aug (not 6, 12, 20) @ 19:00
Circa scored a big hit last year with Wunderkarmma, a cabaret-inspired show which won a Herald Angel award; and as they head back to the Fringe with Beyond, it’s not hard to see what all the fuss was about.
Although ostensibly a circus performance, there’s little pomp and false glamour. It’s not needed when the skills on display are so breath-taking. Death-defying stunts (literally) are often accompanied by a sharp hiss from the audience. Acrobats hurtle down poles, stopping with their nose an inch away from the floor. A woman holds a man up by his jaw, her fingers tickling his teeth.
But along with power and beauty, there’s humour. The third scene sees a formidable woman hold aloft three of her fellow performers in a mess of limbs, whilst solving a Rubik’s cube. Animal heads abound and one man appears in a full bear costume before scaling the set and disrobing at a terrifying height. The music adds to the atmosphere perfectly – a mixture of show tunes, jazz, and 80’s power ballads set the tone of each act, with Sid Vicious’s My Way bringing in a rousing finish. Beyond dazzles and delights, with joy at it’s heart.