Like many of the audience members filing slowly into The Lowry’s Quays Theatre, I had no idea what to expect from such an enigmatically titled show: Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror. However, taking my seat to face a dimly lit stage, complete with ostentatious ceilings, wooden “bleacher-style” seating, and a number of aerial equipment suspended in mid-air, I very quickly got the idea. However, what I was *not* expecting was the way in which this circus was brought to life.
This production was presented by the Extraordinary Bodies theatre troupe, combining the extraordinary talents of deaf, disabled and diverse artists. Supported by the Arts Council England and The National Lottery, this company “creates powerful performances that celebrate our vast potential as humans, we explore a vibrant mix of circus, dance, theatre and music to give a voice to those who are often silenced”. A very noble cause indeed.
When the curtain rose in 1933 Brandenberg and the troupe were quickly introduced to the audience as a loveable ragtag group of eccentric social “misfits”, it became clear that the story would soon be one of oppression, socialism and social purification that came with the rise of the Nazi Party in the wake of the First World War.
The visual artistry of this piece – complete with jugglers, acrobats and aerialists alike – was mesmerising enough, but it was made all the more incredible because of the physical limitations of the performers. At points I was transfixed, unable to look away from these feats of physical excellence.
Whilst each and every member of the 12-strong troupe brought something exceptional to the table – from Abbie Purvis’s stunning vocals, Brooklyn Melvin and Raphaella Julien’s evocative British Sign Language performance, and Jonny Leitch’s often gravity-defying aerial performance from his wheelchair – I do think this performance was let down tremendously by the questionable musical sequences that permeated the show and (in my opinion) broke the intimate spell that the story had begun to create. I thought the musicality was jarring and the book was incredibly weak, detracting from instead of adding to the emotion of the story.
On paper, this show had all the hallmarks of a remarkable show – a vastly talented cast who overcome their physical disabilities to create something that was at times show-stopping, a story that weaved together human chemistry with real-life social commentary and staging that really did catapult the cast into the stratosphere. However, I do think the performance fell flat during the musical sequences, and the spell was irrevocably broken the moment the performers broke into song.
You can see that this show was heavily influenced by the 2017 circus smash hit The Greatest Showman – but sadly, this performance didn’t hit the right notes for me (despite the incredible and undeniable skill of the multi-talented cast). In my opinion, the show would have been infinitely better – and had much more of an emotional resonance with the audience – by removing the songs and instead investing more time in the development of the characters and enhancing the storyline.
Reviewer: Hannah Wilde
Reviewed: 22nd April 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★