Tag Archives: brave space

Second week highlights…..2022

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We haven’t managed to see quite as much this week as we were away over the weekend, and now it’s back to school…eek. We have squeezed in a show or two though of course, and a few snacks along the way. There is still lots on, and some new shows just starting, so do keep on exploring the festival programme….

Top picks this week have been :

Brave Space – Beautiful, immersive and intimate circus, where you are invited in to get up close and personal with the performers. A gentle and emotive start to the day….Visually stunning, with serene and graceful performances, Brave Space is an oasis amongst the hustle and bustle just outside 

Boom – Emotive, energetic, playful and poignant…this circus takes you through a whirlwind of emotions and is seriously impressive. Boom is based on real events where performers met just after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, in March 2022, and its incredible what they’ve produced together to share here in Edinburgh. 

For the littler ones, our mini-reviewer has enjoyed :

Dinosaurs and all that rubbish – Balancing both an environmental message and lots of fun, this show is sure to delight younger audiences and their accompanying adults alike !This show was a massive hit with our mini-reviewer, and also with me! 

Splash Test Dummies – There is a reason why these guys are seasoned favourites of the fringe! Back with their aquatic themed silliness – Splash Test Dummies is a totally bonkers, fun show full of audience participation, slapstick comedy and splattered with some pretty impressive circus skills! 

Spotlight on the Brilliantly Creative Circus Hub 2022….

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We’re delighted that Underbelly’s Circus Hub is returning to the Meadows again this year. Bringing with it a plethora of amazing shows that are sure to astound and amaze us all…and as ever, we’re hoping the churros stall will also be back for some delicious snacks !!

It feels like the number of incredible circus and physical theatre shows increases every year, and 2022 certainly looks jam packed with choice…

Underbelly’s Circus Hub is made up of two venues: The Lafayette and The Beauty. The two venues are named after one of the world’s most famous circus performers and illusionists – The Great Lafayette, and his dog Beauty, who famously both died in Edinburgh in 1911. 

You can see all of the shows listed here and we’ve listed our top 5 picks below :

Circa: Humans 2.0 – We loved the original version of this incredible show (review here) – so we are super excited for this ! Ten bodies appear in a flash of light. They move in harmony for a fleeting moment and then descend into a sinuous trance. Towers grow and decay, bodies leap, and are caught, as physical limits are pushed to their extreme. – August 5th – 27th (not 10th, 15th, 22nd)

Splash Test Dummies – Readers of this blog know that we adore these loveable clowns and highly recommend a visit to share in their magic and hilarity…(review here). We reckon they are splish splashingly awesome ! See a brilliant array of catch-your-breath stunt work, acrobatics, juggling and the side-splitting, slapstick comedy for which the dummies are famous. – August 6th – 27th (not 15th, 22nd )

Cirque Alfonse: Animal – Cirque Alfonse takes us through a series of surreal farm fables served up with a touch of irreverence, impressive virtuosity and the company’s familiar comic touch. In this re-invented agricultural world, the farm is turned upside down! – August 6th – 27th ( not 10th, 15th, 22nd)

Circus Abyssinia: Tulu – We absolutely LOVED their show in 2017 (review here) – and are SUPER excited for this new show, celebrating the first African woman to win Olympic gold. Inspired by the true tale of an Ethiopian icon, Derartu Tulu, this unmissable showcase of superhuman strength blends breathtaking contortion, awe-inspiring acrobatics and mesmerising fire juggling with a rocking, exuberant soundtrack.- August 6th – 27th (not 15th, 22nd )

Brave Space – This looks really cosy and great for littler little ones…Brave Space is the building of a blanket fort, sneaking under a hoop skirt, an impulsive congregation in the tiniest of tents. Starting as a puddle of fabric on the floor, it grows to encompass a wondrous world of circus. Intimate and low tech, the audience sits nose-to-nose with an all-female cast of bold physical artists to build the world we want to live in, even for only a few shared moments.- August 6th – 27th (not 15th, 22nd )