Showing @ Underbelly Bristo Square, Edinburgh until Mon 26 Aug @ times vary
Once upon a time, there was an artform called cabaret. It entertained audiences even as it pushed boundaries, it titillated and provoked thought in almost equal measure. But as cabaret moved towards the mainstream, it often became a catch-all for the otherwise uncategorisable, or performances that sought to shock in the most predictable ways. And a new art form moved in to fill the gap for witty, sexy, edgy entertainment. Ladies and gentlemen, circus is the new cabaret.
Wunderkammer is circus par excellence, where one trick leads seamlessly into another before the audience even have time to applaud the wonders. Seemingly superhuman feats of strength, agility, balance and contortion are performed so effortlessly that the cast themselves appear slightly surprised at their own accomplishments.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Wunderkammer is the way Circa toy with notions of gender identity. Muscled male acrobats strip to lacy pants and frills even whilst displaying unassailable masculinity, and Freyja Edney is particularly mesmerising, simultaneously the sexiest and strongest woman you are ever likely to see. These seven performers transcend any “normal” notions of feminine and masculine to become living works of art.
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