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Show: Batacchio
Society: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Venue: ZOO Southside (Venue 82)
Credits: Cirk La Putyka. Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus (circus, theatre)
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 06/08/2017
Batacchio
Chris Abbott | 07 Aug 2017 09:39am
Photo: Jan Hromadko
Circus tends to run the gamut from rough and ready street-friendly performers to the exotic and theatrical: Batacchio from Cirk La Putyka were firmly at the latter end. The Czech company gloried in the use of 19th Century theatrical techniques, endlessly surprising their audience and delighting them in equal measure.
The first surprise for the seasoned Fringe-goer was to see house tabs in position in this comfortable venue, converted, like many at the Fringe, from a redundant church. The reason for these curtains soon became apparent for they almost took on a performer role, being used to conceal, reveal and bemuse by this entertaining group. Costumes were heavy on spangles – not just sequins – and cleverly heightened or undercut the particular act, as when the whole group performed a particularly muscular jumping and catching routine wearing fetching outfits in black lace. At other times the visual style seemed influenced by the photography of Jan Saudek, lending a suitable air of decadence.
The group presented reinvented versions of many familiar routines such as the coat worn by two people, and the mirror with a performer playing the reflection. However, whereas some British pantomimes simply preserve these routines in aspic, this group added an original take on them. The earthiness of one or two of the routines, such as the sleight of hand operation, the human puppets and particularly the girl with the disappearing fruit, surprised the Edinburgh audience but did not, I think, offend.
Some unexpected tricks were received with delight, especially the gag with the half-revealed seesaw – another clever use of the main curtains. It was delight that was visible too on the faces of the audience of all ages. This was a highly entertaining performance by a group from a country not often represented in Edinburgh, and it is good to see that the ZOO are running a Czech season this year. Batacchio is a show that celebrates circus and theatre equally, and is to be recommended to lovers of either.
- : admin
- : 06/08/2017