★★★★★
From the moment that the lights go down for Cirquework’s YOAH, you know this will be unlike anything else. Immediately, shadowy figures move onto the stage and the music rises so suddenly it catches you off guard. It is the opening for a scintillating hour of circus that puts ambition over adhesion to deliver an act quite unlike anything else around.
Many of the classic ingredients of the circus are present in YOAH, but equally there are notable omissions. There is little in the way of riling up the crowd, no clowns, and no ringmaster. The show does not ease into motions with a long introduction, but leaps right into the action with a grace and power that bewilders you. The troupe of performers do things with the diablo that beggar belief, whizzing them up into the air and metres away from their bodies while using a lightshow to present them in utterly beautiful fashion. The trapezist takes some unbelievable risks, while the acrobat on the silk ropes blends style with dazzling strength to sensational effect. These are a step above what you will see in a run-of-the-mill circus. The stunts on display here are beyond what us mere mortals can imagine, let alone attempt.
The projections on an intermittently used back curtain could themselves form the basis of a good show, the performers making full use of the shadows and lights to add a sizeable air of magic to the performance. Combined with a booming musical score, YOAH possesses drama and atmosphere on another level. The fluidity of the acts and the sheer breathlessness of proceedings are quite unlike anything you thought you would ever see. And the crowd are left in no doubt that what they are seeing is special. The rapturous standing ovation they receive at the end is a magnificent way to bring the curtain down on such a superfluous hour of strength, agility, and artistry.
YOAH is spectacular, but spectacular doesn’t even begin to cover it. It feels streaks beyond anything else, offering something new even to the experienced circusgoer. This is the best circus show you are ever likely to see in your lifetime.
YOAH is being performed at Underbelly’ George Square’s Circus Hon on the Meadows – The Lafayette until 18th August 2024 as part of Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Words by James Hanton
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