We enter the Speakeasy at Gluttony to pounding techno music and, as the first performer takes the stage dressed in dance leotard and denim shorts, there’s a bawdy whistle from someone in the audience. It’s very misplaced; this isn’t a show where the ladies are there to be graceful and sexy for you while men do all the heavy lifting, this all-female cast are presenting their skills without the need to be dainty ladies. It’s wonderful to see a circus show that features all the physical strength and abilities that are often seen as the domain of the male performers performed entirely by women. There’s all the lifts and throws, hand balancing and acrobatics that you’d want and it’s performed with a playful and almost mischievous air.
well choreographed and beautiful to watch.
A length of rope is a recurring prop throughout the piece. Used as a cat’s cradle entangling the performers and, of course as a jump rope, it is also laid out to demarcate the stage indicating each new section of the show. There’s also a lot of mileage in a glass of water that traverses the stage by being rolled, carried, dropped and pinched between limbs and bodies all without spilling a drop. These moments are well choreographed and beautiful to watch.
Unfortunately, Entropy sags a little in the middle, although a couple of sections playing with first an apple and then lots of clothes are fun asides, there’s a real need for a spectacular moment where instead the tricks feel repetitive. The show feels drawn out and, in some places, like it’s still being workshopped.
Entropy takes the opportunity to show that women are deserving equals in the circus tent; they have the strength, determination and skill to present their work and I’m going to be watching this company with interest as they have the potential to become an important voice in the circus world.
