Theatre in Wales

Theatre, dance and performance reviews

Freshness and enthusiasm

Tabu

Nofit State Circus , The Roundhouse London , April 1, 2009
Tabu by Nofit State Circus The circus troupe No Fit State bound into town, with their new show Tabú with a freshness and enthusiasm not seen in either Cirque du Soleil or La Clique (the shows obvious competitor). This makes the show exciting, original, daring and sometimes down right stupid. At some points the show feels undercooked and still in the dress rehearsal stage, but I find myself writing this in a very affectionate way as this actually adds some charm to the evening.



The first half in enjoyable, however has a narrative that’s sometimes difficult to follow. That said the electric passion demonstrated by the final aerial act puts many a big budget large scale West End show to shame in it’s emotional force.

The second half fills a lot of the gaps left by the first, threading together the bullfighting themes. There’s some untraditional clowning, some hula hoop work, spinning cradles, and another enthralling aerial routine, combining strength and precision.

One of the most striking things about No Fit State is the lack of hundreds of performers, back room staff, make up artists, assistant make up artists…you get the gist. This is one of the major differences with Cirque du Soleil. Performers confidently take on multiple ‘challenges’ and Tabú is all the better for it. By the time we see the fire umbrellas at the climax, a highly enjoyable evening has been had by all.

Reviewed by: Hit the Theatre

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