We could labour the much-loved line about running away to the circus but we're not going to. We're just going to say that this looks like an absolutely cracking season of international contemporary circus in the extraordinary Roundhouse space.
Having already filled it several times over with amazing large scale shows since it opened last summer, the Roundhouse in Camden continues to bring freaky, fun and fabulously full-on shows to London. For Circus Front, the venue is hosting a programme of the best contemporary circus out there at the moment: four main shows are accompanied by a series of Late Nights, Sideshows, installations, workshops and talks.
French circus outfit Collectif AOC will bring their clash of street culture, breakdance and traditional circus skills to the tent in Question de Directions. Moroccan team Collectif Acrobatique de Tangier will present their show Taoub with live Arabic music, all based around an endless sheeet of fabric that serves as backdrop, prop, costume and stunt equipment. Acrobat hailing from Australia return to London with the antithesis of opulent, decadent circus; their show Smaller, Poorer, Cheaper is full of acrobatics and the usual circus activity but is raw and intense. Last but not least, nofitstate circus come with their show Immortal, a performance that takes place above, below and around the audience. It will quite literally keep you on your toes as you've to keep up with this circus group as they move around the space.
Sideshows and Late Nights are even more adventurous with an evening celebrating horses in circus work, an aerial / hip hop mash-up night, a night with Marisa Carnesky - the tattooed lady of the 21st century and a frankly terrifying Late Night called All the Fun of the Fear which we're told involves beds of nails, fire whip cracking, moorbikes, chainsaws and straitjackets. Try not to choke on your candyfloss.
Circus Front at the Roundhouse, Thursday 21 June to 5 August. For more information, go to the Roundhouse website here.
