Celebrating its fifth anniversary tour, Cirque Mother Africa is a wonderful show to entertain all the family; a fusion of modern circus and African traditions it overflows with enthusiasm. Dynamic African drumming from the live band infects the audience - encouraging them to clap along and get involved. At one stage volunteers are plucked to get on stage and try it out themselves, with a little practical joke thrown in for good measure.
The acts range massively from beautifully harmonized songs, to an acrobat on chairs that had my health and safety-conscious mind fraught with concern; but the show stealing act came from a contortionist in a blue onesie who wound, twisted and rippled his body into unbelievable positions which had the audience both amazed and a little shocked at his seemingly liquid spine. The dance done in Wellington boots and hardhats provided a great demonstration of ‘stepping’, a particularly popular activity in the U.S., and showed how it developed from the tribal dances of Africa.
The venue was a little unkind to the show; the energy and enthusiasm the cast poured into their performance was obvious, but it seemed to be sapped by the space and they had to work extremely hard to transfer any of it to the audience. They did well, but there was a sense the audience was never fully committed to the experience and their energy waxed and waned. In another venue I feel this would have been improved, energy levels in the audience would have been better sustained and would have buoyed the performers on stage.
Overall it was a light, entertaining show, a good way to spend the afternoon with your family and one that you will leave with a smile on your face.
