Underbelly Festival, Southbank – until 20 May
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
If you’re looking for a fun-filled, jaw-dropping show for all the family, then get down to the Southbank to see Circus Abyssinia’s Ethiopian Dreams. Bibi and Bichu Tesfamariam’s show garnered rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe, and you CAN believe the hype. There are wonders in this show to thrill young and old alike.
With an insanely talented and enthusiastic troupe from the brothers’ circus school in Addis Ababa, the smiles and enthusiasm seen on stage don’t take long to spread around the audience. With upbeat music and choreography throughout, the show begins with the male members of the troupe throwing each other around the stage and into the air in a dazzling display of strength and agility. The female acrobats stun with their contortions, balances and acrobatics, with a mind-blowing routine spinning coloured cloths from hands and feet being the visual highlight, but their final poses will make you squeal in awe and trepidation.
Daniel Gezahegn’s charming clowning and the Tesfamariam’s own phenomenally complicated but relaxed juggling act keeping the high energy building until the grand finale, a Chinese Pole act which sees eight of the troupe swarming up and down performing nerve-shredding stunts with cheeky grins on their faces.
And that’s what stays with you after the show, the joy on the performers faces as they show London their extraordinary skills. The energy and enthusiasm are life-affirming and infectious – it’s enough to make you want to sign up for some circus skills classes yourself.