Edinburgh Fringe Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus reviews: Rêves | Circus Sonas: Down With Gravity | Of the Land on Which We Meet | Never Been So High | YOAH | Masa Madre

A technically masterful and deeply moving Ukrainian show kicks off our latest batch of dance, physical theatre and circus reviews. Words by Kelly Apter, Josephine Balfour-Oatts and Suzanne O’Brien

Ukranian dance show Rêves | Maria Volkova

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Rêves ★★★★★

Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 25 August

 

It’s not unusual for jugglers to also be accomplished acrobats. Equally, physical theatre performers can often be proficient dancers. To find all four qualities in a single performer is rare, but the six talented young men in this powerful show from Ukraine have clearly been training for this moment all their lives. And the fact that those lives have been so tragically interrupted by conflict in their homeland makes Rêves (meaning “dream”) even more impactful.

At first, they’re all dressed as little boys, wearing vests, shorts, socks and an air of innocence and hope. Via a voiceover (in English) we learn about the lives they thought they would lead, the places they would visit, the love affairs, the homes. Then, one by one, they pull off their vests and get to work. The stage is littered with white juggling balls but the execution (although excellent) feels different from the norm, as if artistry rather than showmanship is the goal.

Hand balancing is treated in much the same way, as are acrobatics and hoop juggling. It is technically flawless throughout but somehow this show exists in the realm of theatre (and Eastern European theatre in particular) more than circus. Each solo is set to a well-loved piece of classical music, including Ravel’s Bolero and Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, chosen to perfectly match the physicality, flexibility and dexterity of each performer.

Completing the circus line-up, one young man appears in a clown costume. Staring into a mirror edged with dressing room light bulbs, he prepares for the show, upbeat and smiling. But the stage make-up we expect to see is, in fact, combat camouflage and our clown is transformed into a gun-carrying soldier. The final scene, a gentle, candlelit call for peace, love and solidarity brings the show full circle, and when the young men unfurl the Ukrainian flag as they take their bow, it is an emotional moment all round. Kelly Apter

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Circus Sonas: Down With Gravity ★★★ 

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters (Venue 272) until 18 August 

Jugglers Martin Mor and Logy Logan are natural comedians, experts in audience engagement and the art of having a good time. Circus Sonas: Down With Gravity is the tonic you didn’t know you needed. This show is for children, and for your inner child. Here, joy abounds, indiscriminate and ageless.

With flushed cheeks and broad smiles, the double-act embarks on a series of “indoor and outdoor” stunts. A yo-yo increases in size, while an axe introduces an element of danger. Luck is on their side, it seems. The pair increase the difficulty of their routines, but still the juggling balls fall where they’re aimed. “Do you want a fancy trick, an easy trick, or a hard trick?” they ask, exchanging their clubs for cigar boxes, their cigar boxes for knives.

The two are forever competing with one another, and this creates numerous opportunities for comedy. One stand-out moment sees Mor soothe a crying baby with Mongolian throat singing (apparently, parents, it is as easy as that), but Logan’s magnanimity means that balance is always restored. True to its title, their show is sure to have you buoyed up, feeling brighter and lighter, than before. Josephine Balfour-Oatts

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Of the Land on Which We Meet ★★★

Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322) until 25 August

If you’ve attended a circus show from Australia in recent years, chances are you’ve heard a declaration at the start. In a bid to acknowledge the tribes that called the country home long before anyone else arrived, companies often refer to “the land on which this work was created”. Taking it a step further, Melbourne’s Na Djinang circus troupe embraces this small but important statement and builds a whole show around it.

The three performers each come with their own heritage and backstory: an indigenous Australian, the granddaughter of Greek migrants and a descendant of colonial settlers. Their relationship with the land and who has the right to buy it, therefore, is different and leads to an insightful, thoughtful commentary. All of which is peppered with acrobatic lifts and manoeuvres, and as they hoist each up, there’s a real sense of friendship and support.

It is not always easy to capture everything they’re saying, due in part to speedy delivery (unfortunate but not intentional), and a layering effect where they all speak simultaneously (intentional but not entirely effective). When they refer to the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, at which 60% voted against giving greater political rights to Indigenous people, however, their message is loud and clear. Kelly Apter

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DANCE PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Never Been So High ★★★

French Institute in Scotland (Venue 168) until 15 August

Shorter than advertised at around 35 minutes long, Kyiv Mime Theatre's production is a sweet search for peace and love in a time of war and destruction. Performed by Hope Lee, this solo piece sees her beautifully reconnect with her inner child through emotive mime and storytelling. There is a delicacy in Lee’s performance yet an inner strength which grows as she takes us from birth to birthdays.

Some sequences are very special such as when she brings her parents to life using only jackets, which alone makes the show worth seeing. Other parts don't have quite the same impact, but they remain mildly enjoyable and occasionally comical. The story is not always abundantly clear, but this allows for interpretation and gives the audience space to use their imagination.

Vocals and music are included, although the decision to omit music at certain points does not always work, and it almost feels like something is missing. Despite this, there is a sense of hope and optimism throughout, and it comes together in a poignant way that makes us appreciate the challenges that Lee has faced. Suzanne O’Brien

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

YOAH ★★★

Underbelly’s Circus Hub (Venue 360) until 18 August

With Australia dominating the contemporary circus scene at the Fringe, it’s nice to see another country make an impact. Hailing from Japan, Cirquework – like every other circus troupe – had to find an angle to make it stand out from the crowd. Something to wrap around the flips and tricks and give their act personality. In YOAH, the dominant force is music, lighting and visual effects, which give the show a big, flamboyant and perhaps slightly brash feel.

YOAH by Cirquework | Contributed

There’s also a nod to Japanese horror and anime (and why wouldn’t they, given the popularity of those genres?), with the central girl’s downward head clothed in a hoodie, and four sinister-looking men in black outfits and masks always on the prowl. All of which adds dramatic effect but is relied upon too heavily to bulk out the hour. The circus skills themselves are technically proficient but there’s just not enough of them.

Aside from a superb chair-stacking routine which finds a performer balanced precariously 30 feet in the air, and three excellent aerial routines (on trapeze, silks and rope), the major play here is diablo. Which, to be fair, they’re very good at. Flinging them to great heights, passing them back and forth, and spinning around while they’re midair, the diablo jugglers steal the show, partly because there is so much of it. Kelly Apter

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Masa Madre ★★

C Aurora (Venue 6) until 18 August

The mask-work of Madrid-based company Neko Theatre is strong, and the very real problem at the heart of this story most definitely deserves to be heard. But Masa Madre limps along at too slow a pace, the characters are ill-defined and, on occasion, the storytelling lacks clarity. Which is a shame, as this tale of a once-thriving bakery passed from generation to generation, now in danger of being subsumed by the tourist industry, has an important point to make. Live music, courtesy of two excellent guitarists, helps with momentum but the piece is crying out for more humour and pathos. Kelly Apter