Before you read any further, call the Peacock Theatre and book tickets to see Cirkus Cirkor. The family-friendly Swedish troupe is new to London and while theirs is not the slickest show, nor dramatically the most adept, it includes some ace performers you shouldn’t miss.
The low-key Jay Gilligan is one of the best jugglers I’ve ever seen. I think I counted him insouciantly twirling 10 or possibly 12 hoops at the same time, although they were moving so fast it was difficult to count. He also had a magical ability to manipulate time and velocity, with the hoops seeming to speed up as they rose and slow down as they fell.
Not far behind Gilligan are the excellent acrobatic pair Mirja Jauhiainen and Sanna Kopra. The duo are compact and solid, yet their suspended catches and transitions are so smooth it’s like watching liquid mercury.
Andre Farstad is also excellent on the giant hoop, while Anna Lagerkvist is tip-top on the pole. All shine on the teeter board, as do the five live musicians. Much less good is the narrative that links the acts. It’s supposedly the story of two ordinary folk whose lives are transformed when they run away with the circus but it often verges into Teletubby-like goofiness.
Still, the tumbling and juggling more than compensate.
Until 31 October. Information: 0844 412 4322, www.sadlerswells.com.
Cirkus Cirkor: Inside Out
Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street, WC2A 2HT
