Review: CIRQUE BERSERK, Riverside Studios

Say what you like but little beats the thrill of live circus. Featuring motorcycles loudly speeding around a Globe Of Death and incredible displays of acrobatics, balancing and knife-throwing, Cirque Berserk returns to London for another run. It has relentlessly toured the UK before and since the pandemic, recently popping up at the Garrick in 2021, the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe and now is at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios.

From crown to corns, this is a very classical variety show which eschews the sawdust and sequins of the big top for a setup more suited to a local theatre. This is no bad thing, per se: seeing circus in the round makes for a more convivial atmosphere but you inevitably spend half the time looking at a performer's backside or wishing for the view those opposite you are enjoying.

As well as eschewing the traditional stage setup, Berserk doubles down by swerving modern circus' penchant for narrative, storyline, a high concept and other things that theatre critics cling to for comfort. Act follows act follows act with a few well-choreographed segues joining the sequences together. There's no MC here bellowing on the artists but - given that there are two entire troupes of tumblers, aerialists aplenty and a trio of bike riders among the 35-strong cast - they are hardly missed. Those wanting to know more about what they are seeing can buy the souvenir brochure which is priced at a reasonable £7 (about a third of what you would pay at the latest Cirque du Soleil show).

There's no denying the old-school feel of this circus, for better and for worse. It knows its audiences, providing a stream of talented performers who joyfully break the fourth wall and drive up the atmosphere. There's a generic soundtrack reminiscent of every Hollywood car chase ever albeit thankfully without the noise of Vin Diesel changing up into yet another gear and shouting out some not-family-friendly expressions.

All the old favourites are here including some exemplary clowning from the three-foot-six Paulo Dos Santos. The man is utterly beguiling and - with the possible exception of Gifford Circus' Tweedy - the finest example of this circus art form I have seen. Trust me: for those who cringe at the general thought of slapstick or who think of clowns in terms of overlong shoes, collapsing cars and honking hooters, Dos Santos is a breath of fresh air.

The show has a nagging unevenness throughout. For every three or four stage-filling wonders, there's a more underwhelming act centred around a talented artiste. Far more could be done to zhuzh up the solo routines - especially aerial acts - through better lighting, for example, or a lick of dramaturgy to bring them up to the entertainment levels shown by The Timbuktu Tumblers and The Khadgaa Troupe. The robot has had its day as a feature if all it is going to do is wander on, fire some big sparklers and then, barely breaking stride, wander off. The music starts brightly enough but then, except for a few scenes, begins to sound like so much Playstation SFX. This is one Cirque that could do with a new shine.

Cirque Beserk is at Riverside Studios until 11 March.

Photo Credit: Piet-Hein Out

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