Cirque Alfonse: Timber!

Using props hewn from the forest, a French circus troupe put on a fun and at times daring show for an enthusiastic crowd of all ages. High quality musical segments and evocative calmer moments provided a welcome sense of structure and pace between entertaining set pieces, including juggling, potato peeling, log jumping, privy interruptions, Cyr wheel, rope and more. The axe throwing was intricately choreographed, the log racing amusing and amiable, the flying old man surreal. The scariest sequence involved two large, very real saws and death defying jumps which will linger long in the memory. A charming, silly, exciting and funny triumph.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 2 January 2014

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