Review: GODZ, Peacock Theatre

Out of the Spiegeltent and into the West End, Head First Acrobats’ GODZ sees an assortment of deities descend on Peacock Theatre with a heavenly blend of adult comedy, scintillating circus and enough raw sex appeal to send Magic Mike back to Hogwarts. 

A hit down under, this Australian company have previously performed their tribute to the denizens of Olympus at the Brighton Fringe in a big top environment. This translation to a black box setup has added in more material but along the way has lost the soul of what we loved about it.

Any notion that they are taking their premise entirely seriously is dispelled early doors as we are introduced to a mixture of Greek and Roman gods: Hercules (Cal Harris), Dionysus (Jordan Twartz), Cupid (Liam Drummer) and Apollo (Thomas Goram). Quite what Cupid was doing up on Olympus is never quite explained, but then again, this is circus not a TED Talk.

There’s no real narrative until about halfway through this hour-ish show. Before then, there’s a series of effervescent skits which sees the quartet work together and show off individual pieces. Creating a human totem pole is a standard part of every modern circus production and, while their compatriots Circa take their two-highs and three-highs very seriously, the lads here play around with the form in an amusing and refreshing way. A sublime solo diabolo routine set to Thom Yorke’s dulcet tones is a highlight as is some skilled clowning and hand balancing while aboard a freestanding ladder.

It’s only when some kind of storyline kicks in that this show really takes off. An inventive riff on Les Beaux Freres’ classic towel act elevates it every which way by swapping out the usual cloths with silver platters. Combining physical comedy, saucy backflips and impressive tucking, the four look like they are having an absolute ball. 

That is until Zeus interrupts the fun and asks why he wasn’t invited. Hercules’ apology goes nowhere and so begins the kind of odyssey that Homer wouldn’t dare write about. The strongman is first thrown into the Underworld and, after meeting God of the Dead (and no mean aerialist) Hades, continues his journey onto Christian Hell. There, a pair of nuns come at him to deal out the kind of punishment which will likely trigger everyone who has ever attended a Catholic school.

Back in Brighton, this was a nailed-on five star show. This time around? Not so much. 

There have definitely been a few fancy upgrades along the way, especially to lighting and sound. The transition to a theatre space, though, has taken a toll on several aspects of what made it far more engaging and intimate in a Spiegeltent.

The biggest is removing almost all of the quality banter that flowed out from the acrobats. When they weren’t mocking each other, they were telling stories and having a jolly back-and-forth with audience members. They built up a rapport with those around them that drew us deeper into their more dangerous stunts and laughing harder at their jokes. Most of that is completely gone in this latest iteration with some parts replaced with so-so mime. 

That’s a shame but not entirely the company’s fault. A black box stage is not the best for circus while hiring a big top is not cheap and neither is renting out a site, especially for one show. The likes of Underbelly have done that for a season-long series of events on the Southbank and near Oxford Circus but it is prohibitively expensive for small visiting troupes like this.

So what’s the answer? Going by the surge in London circus in recent years — Come Alive!, Sabrage, Revel Puck and two featuring Circa — there is plenty of appetite for this kind of thing. That demand is being held back to some extent by a suitable year-round venue. Jackson’s Lane has a focus on big top shows albeit in a black box environment. Underbelly Boulevard can be configured to be “in the round” but the result often means that, when things get going, it can resemble a posh mosh pit. 

We’ve spoken earlier this year about how the UK has failed circus: we must be the only country on earth that has birthed a modern art form with huge global success yet fails to celebrate it ourselves in a meaningful and regular way. We have a National Centre For Circus Arts but no national awards or (more importantly) a national venue. Cirque du Soleil is looking to set up its own London performance base in a theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue yet where is the equivalent for British companies who don’t have Cirque’s billionaire backers? The campaign for a publicly-funded Spiegeltent starts here.

Read our interview with Head First Acrobats' Thomas Gorham on the London Premiere of GODZ here.

GODZ continues at Peacock Theatre until 14 June

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