Garrick theatre, London
Knives, flames and adrenaline aplenty lift this daredevil circus show. The stunts impress but the overblown presentation needs an update
A basic circus truth: everything is better with flames. Whether it’s a
limbo bar, a barrel being juggled by someone’s feet or a knife thrown at a smiling woman, set it on fire and double the thrills. Cirque Berserk is all about the big thrills, but they come alongside some stale acts and stylings. It is proudly unreconstructed circus of the big top variety, transplanted to the stage with a cast of global performers, from the Timbuktu Tumblers to a Mongolian contortionist who can shoot a bow and arrow with her feet (very impressive!).
The presentation is dated, as if contemporary circus’s embrace of story and character and self-critical eye never happened. There’s the troupe giving a moody stare out to the audience as if practising for their album cover; the overblown soundtrack like a David Copperfield magic show; the Chuckle Brothers-style clowning – although it has to be said the kids in the audience love the slapstick (this show definitely has family appeal) and a later sketch by the same pair blowing smoke rings with a haze machine is really charming.