SHOWDOWN Will Embark on National Tour

Six acrobats race to become ‘the new face of circus' in a satirical show about winning, asking questions about media and identity, tokenism, and our desire to beat the competition. Throughout the show the audience is invited to vote for the winner, with each round delving further into the contestants ambition and seeing just how much they'll sacrifice to come out on top. Mixing comedy and spoken word with circus skills including aerial, cyr wheel and acrobatics, the show is written by stand-up comedian Athena Kugblenu and directed by Upswing Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume. The production features original Hip Hop, Grime and Afrobeat music by Afrikan Boy, and a diverse cast from the UK and France. Showdown premiered in Berlin as a major commission by Chamäleon Theater and sees contemporary circus company Upswing reach new heights of skill as they approach their 15th anniversary this year.

Showdown opens at the Albany, where Vicki Dela is Creative Director, before touring for three months, including 14 performances at Norfolk and Norwich Festival in the Adnams Spiegeltent, a venue usually reserved for international headliners. The show follows on from their mockumentary Common Ground, available on YouTube, which went behind the scenes of the fictional search for a Global Majority star to rebrand circus for the 21st Century.

Upswing Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume said, “We're excited to finally bring Showdown to the UK. This production has been a labour of love for the company, and to us, it represents more than just a performance—it's a testament to the unique possibilities that arise when circus and theatre collide. It promises to be a fresh, dynamic experience: a great night out filled with incredible circus, but one that will also provoke as much thought as it does gasps. Through conversations with Athena Kugblenu and other global majority creatives, I have become really interested in how the conversation around diversity has shifted in recent years. I'm interested in the games we play and what we are willing to sacrifice to get the rewards we hope for and in the dynamics of power. Above all we are interested in making something that people lean into, that rewards them for their attention with some fabulous performance and an authentic reflection on power. Ultimately, we want the audience to leave our show feeling elated, hopeful and ready to change the world.”

Athena Kugblenu is a stand-up comedian, writer and voice artist. She was a member of the BBC Comedy Room 2019 – 2020 and was 2020's recipient of the Felix Dexter Bursary from the BBC. Her debut solo show, KMT, played the Edinburgh Fringe to 4 and 5-star reviews, as did her 2018 follow-up Follow The Leader. Both featured in The Guardian, The Independent and The Telegraph's best jokes compilations. She has appeared on Richard Osman's House Of Games (BBC 2), Mock The Week (BBC 2), Comedy Central Live (Comedy Central) and co-presented Yesterday, Today And The Day Before (Comedy Central). Her other writing credits include Horrible Histories (CBBC). Athena is soon to have two books published by Hachette Children's Group: History's Most Epic FIBS and History's Most Epic FAILS.