Baro d’evel’s Who Are We? is a uniquely multidisciplinary spectacle, combining dance, music, acrobatics, ceramics, and clowning to bring a modern-day circus to the iconic Southbank Centre.
Rather than a distinct plot, the show comprises individual moments loosely tied together by overarching themes such as identity, fear, and hope. Through movement, sound, and the clever manipulation of clay, Baro d’evel connects with the audience without many words – and much of the script isn’t in English anyway.
The action on stage interacts with Lluc Castells’s fluid and earthy set design to also draw on the connection between humanity and the natural world, as well as the devastating damage we’re doing to it. I found the moments in which this connection was emphasised to be particularly emotionally impactful.
Camille Decourtye and Blaï Mateu Trias, Baro d’evel’s directors, juggle humour and sincerity to great effect, keeping the audience on our toes through uncomfortable juxtaposition and confronting imagery. Although, while I understood the reasoning behind including a pair of children in the show to represent the contrast of innocence and fear within humanity, I did find the use of partial nudity while the young girls were on stage inappropriate and unnecessary.
There’s a lot going on in Who Are We?, and I found the interesting uses of movement the most engaging. There are a number of acrobatic scenes that really took my breath away, and I found the dancing especially emotive. The surreal comedy is almost Beckett-esque, which I enjoyed, but some of these moments were drawn out for a bit too long and the humour fizzled out.
The length of Who Are We? was an issue for me in general. Running at two hours without an interval, I felt that there were some scenes that could have been cut down considerably to maintain the show’s momentum. Furthermore, once the performers took their final bows at the end, we were then subjected to a rather long, rather rambling speech by Decourtye, that would have perhaps been better received had it not prolonged an already overlong performance.
Who Are We? is a truly one-of-a-kind piece of art that isn’t afraid to challenge its audience. This show is overflowing with heart, honesty, and humour, but some editing could be deployed to make this production really pack a punch.
Who Are We? plays at Southbank Centre until 16th October. Tickets are available at: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 14th October 2026
North West End UK Rating:
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