Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus review: xoxo moongirl, Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh

In the closing moments of xoxo moongirl, aerial artist Nicole Burgio pulls on a vibrant red dress and climbs up onto a swing.
xoxo moongirl, Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322)xoxo moongirl, Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322)
xoxo moongirl, Assembly Checkpoint (Venue 322)

xoxo moongirl, Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh * * *

High above us, her body wraps around the ropes while her dress billows from the air below, tiny pieces of paper swirling around her. It’s a truly beautiful sight, and one which indicates just how talented an artist Burgio is, and what an eye for theatricality she has.

For the previous 50 minutes, however, this is a very different show. Aside from the occasional (perfectly executed) handstand, with a stirring musical and vocal accompaniment from Melanie Hsu, Burgio mostly talks to us about her family. Growing up with an angry father and alcohol-dependent mother wasn’t easy, and Burgio clearly bears the scars. Whether these scars would be better healed in a therapy room than on a stage, is up for debate.

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Anecdotes about fraught mealtimes and 2am phone calls are imparted, but are so masked by humour, it’s hard to enter Burgio’s world as much as we’d like to. With such a huge talent to share as a circus artist, it seems odd Burgio chose to weight her show so heavily in this direction.

Until 25 August

Kelly Apter

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