EDINBURGH 2026: Review: THE PALESTINIAN CIRCUS: STEP AND A HALF, Underbelly Circus Hub on the Meadows
A heartfelt celebration of culture, ritual and the power of joy
The Palestinian Circus brings culture, community and contemporary circus together in Step and a Half, a production which places Palestinian identity firmly at its heart.
The opening is notably slow, with the performers taking time to wave to the audience, check sightlines and establish a sense of trust before the physical action begins. It takes a while for the show to find its rhythm, is a tad informal, although once the performers introduce traditional Palestinian dance and encourage the audience to clap along, the atmosphere begins to warm considerably.
The cultural grounding provides communal energy establishing the importance of ritual, connection and collective identity. Verbal commentary runs intermittently, touching on feelings, experience, wellbeing, safety, strength and peace. At times the spoken messages are more prominent than the circus itself, but they give the physical work a clear emotional framework.
A first pole sequence introduces the idea of fall and trust, while much of the production subsequently focuses on ensemble building and physical movement rather than pushing circus skills to their most technically spectacular limits. There are lively moments of acrobatic balance, followed by straps work in which the performers create pleasing shapes and flowing movement.
The highlights come in the form of the cyr wheel and later when one performer becomes the 'flyer', creating an elegant sense of weightlessness. Elsewhere, trapeze work sits comfortably alongside graceful silk work, with the latter providing some of the production’s most fluid visual moments.
A short aerial silk sequence successfully elevates both the physicality and the underlying message, with the idea of joy itself becoming an act of resilience. Later, fire poi provides another visual change of pace, accompanied by the simple but resonant idea of continuing to move forward. Step and a Half concentrates on the performers’ evident connection with one another to give the ensemble work a genuine warmth.
The Palestinian Circus has spent two decades using circus as a means of creativity, connection and resilience, and that purpose is unmistakable here. Step and a Half is less concerned with delivering a succession of jaw dropping circus tricks than with exploring what movement, ritual and shared celebration can mean to a community.
The result is an earnest and often beautiful celebration of Palestinian culture. While the production could benefit from a more immediate opening and a greater balance between its spoken messages and its circus skills, its heart is firmly in the right place. It is a celebration of the performers simply moving together, allowing culture, joy and resilience to speak through the body.
The Palestinian Circus Step and a Half runs until 29 August 2026 (no performances on 17 & 24 August) at 14:05 at the UNDERBELLY CIRCUS HUB on the MEADOWS, The Lafayette.
Photo credit: Hemispheres Photography
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