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Underbelly Festival
Astonishing acrobats, bewildering contortionists and world-famous jugglers from the highly acclaimed Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams got the 10th-anniversary Underbelly Festival off to a spectacular start with a very special performance on the Southbank, just yards from the location at which Philip Astley’s first ever circus took place 250 years ago this month.
Following a smash hit run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 and as seen on ITV’s Royal Variety Performance, Circus Abyssinia headlines this year’s Underbelly Festival Southbank with a six-week run. Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams is a jubilant celebration of the circus that will mesmerise audiences of all ages through the infectious energy and spirit which fly from its cast.
Written by Cal McCrystal, Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams is an unashamedly joyful mix of astonishing stunts, astounding circus skills and enchanting adventure. The show dramatises in surreal, often comic and mostly wordless ways, the magical true tale of two Ethiopian brothers, Bibi and Bichu who dreamed as little boys of joining the circus, and stages the journey of how their dream came true. Performed from the perspective of the young brothers, through the universal language of a circus, the show mixes autobiographical and fictional narratives to tell how Bibi and Bichu became world-class jugglers.
Underbelly Festival audiences will be plunged into a world of daredevil wonders as they encounter a host of other circus dreamers: dancing, contorting, gravity-defying figures, all weaving tales of their own. The inimitable Circus Abyssinia Troupe, a team of dazzling and prodigiously talented acrobats from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, whose reputation for bold and vertiginous acrobatic displays are both awe-inspiring and heart-stopping to watch.
The multi-talented and incredibly versatile Circus Abyssinia Troupe celebrate the birth of a new Ethiopian tradition through a breath-taking range of circus skills including; human juggling, hand-vaulting, contortion, cloth spinning, clowning and the astonishing eight strong double Chinese Pole act. Fusing theatrical storytelling with astonishing stunts, the show combines the arts and innovations of contemporary circus with Ethiopia's artistic heritage to create one of the world's first full-blown Ethiopian circuses. Surrealist and joy-driven, accompanied by a soundscape that draws on Ethiopia’s rich musical past and present, Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams is a transformative celebration of the circus itself.
Marking the 250th Anniversary of the circus, the art form takes centre stage at this year’s Underbelly Festival in its tenth year on the Southbank with the finest circus companies from around the world headlining a mammoth bill this season. Festival opening act, Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams (6th April – 20th May) will be followed by sodden slapstick circus SOAP (3rd May – 17th June) sliding in from Germany, then Latin circus-concert sizzler Circolombia (24th May – 14th July) bring a taste of South America, and Circa premiere their latest masterpiece from Down Under, Peepshow (27th June – 18th August).
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