A highflying standout.
New York Circus Project have added their high flying expertise to the bardic showings at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Their take on Hamlet was harrowing in its athleticism and commendable for its ingenuity. With an ensemble of spectacular performers across acrobatics, dance, circus and acting, the performance was truly a spectacle. In this heavily distilled reimagining, true care was placed in the exploration of character so as to translate to the audience.
The king and queen remain earthbound as the insanity unfolds around them. Hamlet’s madness is explored through explosively athletic flips. The slain king soars beyond reach through the manipulation of various apparatus driving Hamlet into a frenzy of justice. The scorned Ophelia stands out as a brilliant light with her incredible solos on lyra and within the pool.
It is a bold choice to attempt Hamlet as it stands as one of the most famous tragedies. Unless one has a firm understanding of both the bard and the intricacies of acrobatics it is hard to argue this is an accessible reimagining. There were moments the human tragedy of the thing was undoubtedly sacrificed for greater visual theatricality. Hamlet, as a vehicle for physical exploration, provided a strong throughline for the piece’s journey, and it can be argued very few came for the acting bits and instead relished the spectacle. As a whole, the performance was entertaining and effective and a wonderful display of human athleticism.
This show is on from the 5th – 24th at Assembly Central with a runtime of 1 hour. Tickets here.