THE LOWRY, SALFORD – UNTIL SATURDAY 22ND APRIL 2023
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
4****
Waldo’s Circus Of Magic and Terror is sold as a new musical and yet it is so much more. It is a place where inclusivity and diversity are celebrated, and boundaries are broken. This project brings Extraordinary Bodies, co-produced with Bristol Old Vic & Theatre Royal Plymouth, together with seven national touring partners including The Lowry Salford Quays, where I watched the first of three performances. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before!
Extraordinary Bodies, the company who have created the show, is a collaboration between circus company Cirque Bijou and charity Diverse City, a performing arts company working with D/deaf, disabled and non-disabled artists – making it a ‘Circus for Every Body’. Every show is ‘chilled’ meaning the theatre takes a more casual approach to noise and movement and is accessible for all audience members. Caption screens are included on either side of the stage showing subtitles and assist the sighted audience members to understand when they communicate in BSL on stage. For the visually impaired audience members there are pre-recorded audio description headsets available. The talented Max Marchewicz provides live BSL interpretation throughout.
Set in 1933 Nazi Germany, it tells the story of a travelling circus troupe, an original story from Hattie Naylor and co-written by Jamie Beddard.
Although the characters are fictional, the narrative is based on fact and the historical context makes for uncomfortable viewing at times. The Nazi’s used circus performers to perform during their rallies and became increasingly hostile to those not part of the Aryan race, cleansing the troupes of any artist who did not reflect their warped views. This production reminds the audience that other groups of minorities were also targeted for abuse and sometimes worse. From 1933 to 1939 around 360 000 disabled people were forced to be sterilised by the Nazi’s.
Notable performances came from Peter and Renee (Tilly Lee-Kronick and Johnny Leitch), who stole the show on the high wire with their intimate aerialist scene in the first Act. The adorable double act was performed by Mish and Mosh (Raphaella Julien and Brooklyn Melvin). They had the strongest on stage relationship and communicated through BSL. Mish (Julien) performed the most heartfelt solo performance of the night with The Disappeared using BSL. It was incredibly moving watching her perform. I was mesmerised by Mirabelle Gremaud’s (Queenie and Dr Margot Kruger), effortless acrobatics and contortion.
The depth of the performances from across this ensemble cast is exceptional and it is heightened when you take into consideration their physical disabilities.
Waldo’s Circus of Magic and Terror is a daring tale of humanity – about the best of us and the worst of us as humans.