Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus Reviews

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 9:00pm – 10:00pm, dates vary between 3 Aug and 27 Aug

Under Islamic law, haram is an act that is forbidden by God, a sin of sacrilege against divine order. Sadiq Ali’s astonishing fusion of circus and storytelling navigates the shame-laden paradox of intimacy as profanity, exploring his own experience of reconciling his queerness with his faith. As two men, Ali and Alexandre Duran Davins, pull their bodies up and over two Chinese poles, weaving through and around each other even as structures of shame try to push them apart, Ali’s tender, meticulously crafted double-hander investigates the heady possibilities of sin, the simultaneous excess and pleasure of electing transgression.

It is a gut-wrenching, heartin-mouth work from start to finish, both in the sheer level of skill of the two performers and the stunning stagecraft, which conjures emotion from striking, economical storytelling. A square of light is a prayer mat whose luminous residue haunts the stage, while plastic wrap – in all its suffocating, malleable, and kinky possibilities – flies through the air, crafting stunning geometric tableaux from light and bodies and movement.

Through the pulse and sinew of these bodies, Ali carves out space for a bold and flagrant eroticism, transformed and subverted for our queer modern age. Underpinned by an electric chemistry between Ali and Duvans, The Chosen Haram reveals the gravity-defying possibility of two bodies and people in tandem, bound in affection and desire. Circus as consecration, sexuality as devotion. Watching it, it’s impossible not to feel the same dizziness of pleasure. ✏︎

Anahit Behrooz

VENUE: Assembly Hall

TIME: 5:20pm – 6:20pm, 4–28

Aug, not 8, 15, 22

French-Canadian circus company FLIP Fabrique play with gender roles in this journey from a tentative bite of the forbidden apple to exuberant play on a trampoline wall, providing jeopardy, humour and impressive acrobatics along the way.

What does it mean to be a woman? Muse explores the spectrum of gender and identity through play and physical performance, managing to say more with breathtaking stunts and visual poetry than words ever could. Following in the footsteps of previous shows Attrape Moi, Transit and Blizzard, the acrobatics are nothing short of outstanding.

The expressive performers, their colourful costumes and comical facial expressions stand out on the no-frills stage at the Assembly Hall. As they choose between football outfits and ballet skirts, everything is sensitively judged and precise, without feeling overly laboured. The live singer doesn’t stay in the background, which adds to the feeling of inclusivity.

The tempo drops in the middle, and the French lyrics are lost on anyone who doesn’t speak the language, but there’s something for everyone in this multi-layered, contemporary circus show. Whether you come for the acrobatics or the commen- tary on gender roles, Muse is undeniably a joyful expression of body and mind that is sure to entertain all ages.

✏︎ Veronica Finlay