The Roundhouse in Camden is not afraid of embracing a quirky performance, in fact, they seem to be actively courting them. On the back of the hugely successful Fuerzabruta earlier this year, they’ve invited Canadian troupe, 7 Fingers to stage a Christmas circus with a difference.
7 Fingers were founded in Montreal in 2002, and their initial goal was to bring circus to a human scale. All 7 of the 7 Fingers are former members of Cirque du Soleil and acrobatics and singing are just two of their many talents. Earlier this year they were lucky enough to have a sell-out run at Edinburgh Festival with their show Traces.
Accompanied by the very scratchy DJ Pocket on the decks, the upbeat vibe is set from the start. Most of the audience are caught unawares as they are directed to enter the auditorium through an old fridge, directly onto the stage. Once they get over their initial stage fright and collect their bearings, they are showed by the performers to their seats, sometimes with a bag of crisps to keep them company.
LOFT is, as the name suggests, set in an apartment where even the bathtub is involved in the show. The performers are in their underwear – some shabbier than others, some looking better in it than others to be honest – and there’s a relaxed, informal feel to it.
The production is described as an “incredible theatrical event”. But in reality, the theatre is the weakest link. The loose story line tenuously revolves around an apple. The acrobatics is the highlight, and perhaps the reason the story feels half-scripted. How can you compete with the skill and daring of turning somersaults on another performers shoulders? And how can you link individual acrobatic performances together into a convincing script? Why even try?
The 7 performers carry the show on their very nimble shoulders – Isabelle is the stand out, whether tumbling, or doing her thing suspended from the ceiling with red fabric. Two of the other women play second fiddle dangling from a trapeze, or from serious looking chains. The men, in true circus style, are three very different performers: one big, one small, and one very muscly. The only time Arts Hub ever doubted their collective skill was when the fourth woman, the narrator, took a very large knife, and started, rather unconvincingly, juggling it around. After she dropped it a few times we found ourselves wishing we weren’t sitting in the second front row.
At times it feels like they’ve pulled out every interactive theatre gimmick in the book, but if you can overlook this and the weak narration that ties an otherwise jaw-droppingly amazing sequence of acrobatic skills together, then you’ll really enjoy it.
LOFT is not particularly groundbreaking, but it is entertaining. Take the kids, and suspend reality for a few hours. And at the end you’ll be rewarded by being invited onto the stage to enjoy a slice of apple pie with the performers.
7 Fingers will be swinging on their trapeze at the Roundhouse until 30 December 2007.
