For high tech wizardry delivered with equally high zest by three irresistible clowns, this circus show is tops. Its point of difference is the range and sophistication of the gear, mega screen, lights, camera, sound gizmos and all. That the human element of the performance is not eclipsed by its sheer impact, but rather enhanced, is a tribute to the essential playfulness of the doings and the clever interaction with an audience, well ready to be actively involved. 

To begin with there is the huge monitoring screen indicating Discovery mode to a pulsing beat. The three electro clowns are sometimes on screen, sometimes interacting with it, until the scene before us is one fascinating blend of movement and sound with a distinctly contemporary vibe. Billed as ‘a show for the internet generation (and everyone else)’, the Swedish production, which has attracted international acclaim, is truly innovative as well as simply fun.

Our three chaps have each a specialism, apart from their spectacular ensemble strength. Front man Banham’s acrobatic dance and skill with light or laser, Ejve’s air drumming and Emilio’s exotic movement are all foregrounded at some stage and enthusiastically recognised for the skill and control they demonstrate.

At the heart of the business, though, it is the infectious delight in playing with technology, placing it firmly as a way of creating something akin to magic, which is the key to the show’s success.

By the time the audience joins in the stamping chant of ‘I am somebody’, it is clear that humanity is neither threatened nor side-lined by the technology we are witnessing. These words are among the very few uttered in the course of the performance, but they assert a healthy position for us all.

As a final bonus, audience members are invited to the stage area to play with some screen fun themselves and if proof were needed of the broad appeal of the techno fun on display, whole families get down there and do just that. In contrast to those cautions about turning off our phones and not taking any sneaky photographs, Sirqus Alfon opens the way for happy involvement in their impressive scene.

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