Review: THE GENESIS, Peacock Theatre

The Genesis has been astonishing audiences across the globe with its showcase of trust and spectacle. For just over an hour, the Copenhagen Collective take over the Peacock Theatre with 16 top-class acrobats, assembled from across the world.

It does owe a lot to the circus, but beyond the traditional idea of the strongman and the female flyer. The Genesis is a show of equal opportunities and diversity, with female bases lifting, and male flyers moving with grace. These acrobats clearly relish their routines, which become more complex as the show progresses.

There is a loose line of storytelling in which two teams of acrobats square up against each other, dance, battle, trust and lift each other, The Genesis it is all about the ability to push the human body beyond its limits. Towers of four people tall, people caught and thrown, spun and held.

You can follow ideas through the light and sound changes, and even, at one moment, one of the acrobats addresses the audience as if entering an arena, before turning to catch a colleague pitched out from a pile of pulsing bodies. Watching each performer, their personalities shine through.

The Copenhagen Collective is made up of artists from all corners of the globe, mingling influences from South America, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Circus chaos meets the precision of controlled technique. This young company train and work together, and in the early days even lived together. It shows in the synergy and energy of routines.

Each of these young acrobats displays a sense of fearlessness and skill in their routines. As The Genesis unfolds, more complex formations baffle and delight the audience. It's a remarkable and exhilarating display, directed and choreographed by Patrick King and Johan King Silverhult.

Leif Jodansson has composed a score that moves from pulsing beats to thoughtful melody. It adds as an extra character in The Genesis, wrapping the bodies and movements of the acrobats and informing the mood.

This show has been seen in the open air at La Strada Festival in Graz, and at the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, proving it can be adapted to any setting without rigging, nets, or props.

The performers all deserve their moment in the spotlight: Alfred Kreigbaum, Ange Viaud, Bernardo Vargas, Claire Bindoff, Federico Cabruja, Eloisa Trinidad, Gonzalo Martinez, Maeva Desplat, Marilou Verschelden, Nathan Briscoe, Nicolás Gonzalez, Ronan Jenkinson, Pauline Bonanni, Sónia Matos, Todd (Ted) Degnan, and Tuk Frederiksen.

The Genesis is sensational, profound, and very human. As well as experiencing the show, you can follow the Copenhagen Collective on YouTube, where The Origin Series follows the assembly of the collective and the creation of The Genesis.

The Genesis is at Peacock Theatre until 6 September