Circa’s Duck Pond, Royal Festival Hall Review
Circa’s Duck Pond. Photo by Pia Johnson
Written by Franco Milazzo for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
One of my personal bugbears is when know-nothings use the term “circus” to describe any situation where things are not going quite to plan. Most of the real circus out there - from Cirque du Soleil down to your local spit-and-sawdust affair - are anything but a confusing shambles. In the case of Circa’s Duck Pond, though, that’s more or less what we get.
Rather than go with more abstract themes as we saw in last year’s Humans 2.0, artistic director Yaron Lifschitz has this time around gone for amalgamating one of the most famous ballets with an iconic fairytale by mashing together Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. It should be a match made in heaven: Circa are known for incorporating dance into their shows as well as above par clowning. The result, though, is far from heavenly.
To borrow a phrase, the show is neither duck nor fowl. It can’t decide how loosely it wants to adopt the combined plot, leaving us following a vague storyline that flips between pillow fights in court and a fun broom routine with some very cute ducks. And, while the guidance states this is suitable for “ages 5+”, one section is dedicated to watching a woman in stilettos walk her six-inch heels all over a supine man while the entirely unnecessary finale brings to mind the window displays in Amsterdam’s red light district.
That’s the least of Circa’s problems here, though. They are well known for their skill with human towers (sometimes up to four people high) but they are severely overused in Duck Pond and lead to some unsteady formations. Another company motif is the infusion of ballet and modern dance into their works but - with the exception of some tutus and a plié here or there - there’s little of that here with a preference given more to standard flips and Cirque du Soleil-style acrobalance.
Moreover, the performance itself is embarrassingly strewn with unforced errors both in the opening section as acrobats fail to hold positions and later as they drop equipment or mistime their moves. Not even the most amateur big top show I’ve seen had this level of faults and, despite some lovely inventive and powerful sections, it’s the mistakes that stay longer in the memory.
Thankfully, London has plenty of recommended alternatives to this sorry effort. La Clique may not be family-friendly but it does have a fantastic cast of international stars including aerialist Katherine Arnold, gentleman juggler Florian Brooks and comedian Asher Treleaven. For fans of The Greatest Showman, there’s the big-budget Come Alive! featuring the supreme Bella Diosa. And, for those looking for a more traditional evening, the hilarious Revel Puck Circus have set up their Spiegeltent in Walthamstow.
At the Royal Festival Hall until 30 December.
☆ ☆
