Driftwood: Casus

Circus arts have become a dominant force on the festival scene over the last ten years. Some are good, some are less good – but Casus are sublime. Why? Well the answer is simple, their shows are elegant, filled with joy rather than terror, the feats that they achieve simply flow from their defined bodies with a fluidity that appears almost effortless.Towering piles of lithe bodies, gyrating hula-hoop extravaganzas, extraordinary aerial adventures, the performers pushing forward each other’s and their own limits. But what I liked most were the smiling faces, the fact that they never look scared nor do they seek to scare the audience. There is a warmth and gentility underlying the raw physicality of this company’s work and it pays off, the audience rising to their feet for a well earned standing ovation. In the tight 60 minute programme there were only two moments when my attention waned, one with a pile of clothes that are strangely but not very effectively draped on a tall metal stand, and later a quiet passage of mime that just seemed out of place. Otherwise this is an hour of pure pleasure.

11 May

Theatre Royal Brighton

Andrew Kay

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