Cirque Berserk  returns to The Festival Theatre Edinburgh this week (Tue 10 to Sun 15 March) for its now annual visit and, as always, the skill of the performers makes the very difficult look at times so easy – but don’t try any of this at home folks.

What is Cirque Berserk then?  Perhaps the easiest way to answer that is to clearly define what it is not – despite its name, this is not a horror/punk themed circus with chainsaws and performers doing strange things to their personal body parts.  Cirque Berserk is at its heart a very traditional circus using only human performers.  Is this circus or theatre though, well obviously a circus tent is the natural home for many of the acts, particularly the aerial ones, and some adaptations have to have been made for a theatre stage.  In fact, the programme brochure clearly states “REAL CIRCUS made for theatre”.   This is then where my problems start with the show, because I have to ask myself if I am reviewing a circus show, or a theatrical show, and although the circus element is a combination of high risk factors combined with jaw dropping skill, the theatrical presentation needs some polishing in some areas and at times is a little too “cruise ship” or “tourist resort” in its performance style.

To be clear, I like Cirque Berserk a lot, and have reviewed it many times over the years, and that itself is part of the problem too as the show is to a large part the same performances that I have seen year after year.  This year though there are some changes to the line-up and in places a much needed move towards a more theatrical story arc to link the various performers together, and this is much needed as there is some serious competition out there for Cirque Berserk in the “theatrical circus” space.

What of our actual circus then?  Well, there is a little of everything here with “Timbuktu Tumblers”, Mongolian circus superstars the “Khadgaa Troupe”, aerialist Hulan, contortionist and archer extraordinaire “Elberel”,  “Viktor & Yuliya's”  truly unique unicycling act, “Duo Garcia's” daredevil stunts high above the stage floor, “Antonio & Connor's” sensational hand balancing act, strongman “The Mighty Khaan”, the knife throwing performance of “Toni & Nikol” plus dancers and aerial artists of the company.

The individual skill levels of all of the above mentioned artists has to be seen to be believed, but I have deliberately left two acts out for mention here (unfair I know to the others), but for special reasons.  First the daredevil motorcycle team “The Lucius Team” and their high risk performances at up to 60 miles per hour inside “The Globe of Death”.  Over the years I have watched this performance as eventually four riders are in the globe together, but now that has almost unbelievably been added to with a fifth rider.  Second on my list, and my first time seeing him perform, is Paulo Dos Santos, 3ft 6 inch Brazilian package of talent that combines not only comedic skills with acrobatic and aerial skills, but the person who now gives Cirque Berserk its much needed touch of emotion and at times pathos.

Cirque Berserk is a family show, and they are happy for you to take photographs (but no flash, I presume for obvious reasons) and video clips for uploading to social media. If you are going to see this show for the first time then prepare to be amazed.  If you have seen the show before and know what is coming from some of the performers, you will be reminded once again of how amazed you were first time round and maybe spot something you missed the first time too as some of this action just goes by so fast.

Review by Tom King (c) 2020

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is at The Festival Theatre this week (Tue 03 to Sat 07 March) brings to the stage the real life story of Jamie Campbell, who from a very young age knew that his life’s path was going to be very different from many people around him. That path included not only always being comfortable with his own sexuality, but wanting to wear a dress to his end of school prom night and also become a performer, but not just any performer, a drag-queen.

There are many positives about this work of musical theatre, and always a few (well for me anyhow) negatives, but perhaps the most important thing as a theatrical work is that this is a new work of theatre with new music and songs written for it, and British musical theatre desperately needs complete works of original material, and this alone needs to be supported.  It is therefore appropriate that here, Jamie is called Jamie New, and that name also reflects the “new” Jamie that emerges post school prom night.

The part of Jamie is performed brilliantly by Layton Williams, and there are times that his performance takes me back to the days of disco and a performer like Sylvester. Layton Williams not only has the voice and the moves here, but the dramatic skills to give Jamie many emotional layers.

Also putting in a very solid performance here is Shane Richie as drag clothing store owner and ex diva Hugo/Loco Chanelle.  There are times though when this does feel a little bit like the Shane Richie show.  One downside of this story though is that there is simply not enough time to open up the story of just who Hugo/Loco Chanelle is, and we are only given brief tantalising clues.

This is a musical theatre show though, and one with a feel-good factor to it, and the musical performance numbers plus a very good domestic life of Jamie story line have obviously hit a place in many people’s hearts as this packed theatre audience were obviously enjoying every minute of this story.  There are times, however, when this sugar coating got to be a little bit over the top, particularly at the ending.  There are hints too at the darkness at times in Jamie’s life that he has had to face over the years and obvious prejudice and abuse, but these are lightly touched upon and perhaps a more dramatic adaptation of his story would have given us a more balanced picture (there is an upcoming film planned).  For Jamie, his drag-queen alter ego is his protective shield from the world, and this I find interesting as it takes us back to the original meaning of the word glamour as an enchantment.  Here, make-up and clothes are true glamour.

Jamie is fortunate in his life in having two very supportive people – his mother’s long time friend Ray (Shobna Gulati) and of course his mother, Margaret New (Amy Ellen Richardson), and together Shobna and Amy Ellen work so well together and with Jamie (Layton Williams) on stage.  This is supposed to be Jamie’s story, but I have to admit that I actually found it to be his mother’s story and here Dan Gillespie Sells (Music), Tom Macrae (book and lyrics) and Jonathan Butterell (original director and co-writer) have given Margaret New not only many of the best scenes in this show, but the best song –“He’s My Boy”.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is always going to be treading a fine line between confronting prejudice and, even if unintentionally, reinforcing a stereotype that for me belongs to a dark day in the distant past.  Has the show succeeded, well, that as always has to be in the hearts of the viewer, and all too sadly now, what is really in people’s minds and hearts is only just beneath a thin layer of acceptance.  We still have a very long way to go as a society in accepting everyone as simply people without any name tags to identify them from the conservative masses.

Review by Tom King (c) 2020