In a smoky train station, five performers listen to rock’n’roll on a vintage jukebox, unleashing acrobatic stunts, human pyramids and more. Featuring a soundtrack from Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Let’s Twist Again! blends breathtaking tricks with physical comedy.
Thank you for chatting with A Young(ish) Perspective! Introduce us to who you are and what your doing at the Edinburgh Fringe this year?
I’m Bilal, I’m an acrobat and I’m part of the Black Blues Brothers. This year we will be at the Fringe with our new show: Let’s Twist Again!
Imagine a smoky train station where, thanks to the twist and rock’n’roll coming out of a jukebox, five acrobats start to let loose with human pyramids, somersaults and breathtaking tricks – and there’s our show!
A Youngish Perspective platforms accessible arts and champions the huge scope of different perspectives – can you tell us about the show you’re taking to Edinburgh Festival Fringe as if you’re flyering to both a young first-time-Fringe goer and a festival veteran returning every year?
I bet you’ve never seen a show like this!
Sure, there are several acrobatic shows at the Fringe, but this mix of fun and music is very original, as is the idea of combining the traditional African acrobatic repertoire with a completely different imagery, which harks back to Hollywood cinema and the golden years of music made in the USA.
Plus, our show is a real tour de force: the five acrobats are on stage from start to finish and fill the space with increasingly astonishing acts.
Compared to other international audiences, what makes the Fringe crowd unique?
This is our fifth time at the Fringe and, although we have toured the world with our shows, Edinburgh is special. People come in wanting to have fun and have always welcomed us with joy. People dance during our show!
The Fringe is a party, the atmosphere is always effervescent, and this helps us artists to feel good too.
The stunts and tricks you perform seem to defy logic, how do you address the fear or mental blocks that may arise as you develop a trick or a show?
We are not afraid during our tricks. And I don’t say this to be arrogant: we grew up since we were little doing acrobatics on the beach, near Nairobi, where we lived. It started as a game and became a passion. We have been doing it all our lives, because it makes us feel good.
Of course, sometimes you can be a little tense, for a new show or a new trick that needs rehearsal, but it’s that kind of positive tension that keeps you focused and makes you enjoy the result more.
In any case, if you fall from a human pyramid, the only thing you have to do is… try again!
Who would your surprise dream audience member be?
Calling ourselves Black Blues Brothers, it would be great to have Dan Aykroyd in the audience! Can you imagine?
For this new show, we would love for those who saw the first show in Edinburgh to come back and see us: it’s a completely new show, with new stunts. We can’t wait to share them with those who already know us and those who want to discover us!