Petit Mal

In a dystopian wasteland of old tyres, chains, bits of wood and discarded trampolines Petit Mal fought, climbed and bounced to an unusual circus soundtrack of bluesy Bob Dylan, Joy Division and DJ Shadow. There were some stylish bits of play fighting and acrobatics – the highlight being the techno trampolining where the body became a visual blur in time to the music – but much of the show was very slow with lots of pushing equipment around and little action. The hen night-style sexual content made it inappropriate for children and ultimately Petit Mal came across as schizophrenic, unsure whether to be daring acrobats, slapstick clowns or a quirky circus, but throwing in a bit of all three.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 17 December 2013
Rating:
Jenni Davidson