Arriving last night from France, Bibi and Bichu catch up with Broadway Baby at the Grand Hotel where we get a sneak peek into the acrobatics of their daring new show Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams.
We dreamed of one day starting our own circus company
Tell me the story from the beginning, what made you train for the circus and how did Circus Abyssinia come about?
When we were very young we used to practise circus tricks after school, we started out doing simple acrobatics and as we progressed we became more interested in juggling. We would perform on the streets and in the markets in our neighbourhood as there were no opportunities to join the circus at that time.
In 2011 we launched our own circus school in Ethiopia; we invite children from eight years and up to learn circus skills and from the older, more experienced performers we created Circus Abyssinia. We first did this show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and have been touring it since, we are off to Budapest next then Japan, the US and Abu Dhabi later this year.
Is this your first time performing at Brighton Fringe?
No, we first came here in 1998 with Circus Ethiopia, we were only 14 and 15 years old so it’s even more amazing to be back here with our own circus company! For the performers in Circus Abyssinia, this will be their first time at Brighton Fringe and they are all very excited.
Tell me more about the show, what’s it all about?
The show first launched in Edinburgh 2017 and we have been touring it since. It’s based on our real life experience, us, two brothers, growing in Jimma in Ethiopia and how we dreamed of one day starting our own circus company.
The music and outfits are all rooted in Ethiopian cultural traditions, but circus is not a traditional art so it’s a fusion of the old and the new.
How often do you train together?
We train five days a week for three to four hours, so it’s a lot of hard work.
What is the most daring act in the current show and have you ever had any scary moments when performing?
Look out for the grand finale, that’s all we can say! The contortion work by the female performers is very challenging and complicated too. In another show, when I was juggling with fire, I got knocked and burned my eyes, I ended up in hospital for two weeks!
Are there any performers or circus acts that particularly inspire you?
We take inspiration from everywhere we go. One of the best things about performing at the Fringe is we get to see lots of shows and learn from them, get new ideas and see new techniques, it’s like one big workshop and we’re always learning.
If you had to describe in one sentence why people should come to see your show, what would you say?
It's inspiring, unique, exciting and you’ll learn a lot about our culture.
With heart-stopping feats of acrobatic daring, this is a show not to be missed. The charming adventure of two real-life jugglers from Ethiopia dreaming of the circus in a country without one will captivate the entire family.
Running from May 22nd to June 2nd, you can catch Circus Abyssinia at The Warren’s Hat venue.
