By Peter Maddern
Boiled down to its constituent elements, circus shows include some gymnastics, a strong man or two, ball juggling, pin tossing and an element of fun. What separates them is how this routine is delivered. There will not be two more extreme, and I hasten to add enjoyable, examples this Fringe than Trash Test Dummies and Luminous, both on Gluttony.
The Dummies are three likely lads who smash the crap out of wheelie bins in a rollicking sixty minutes of mayhem, ideal for both children as well as adults. The squeals of delight from the kids signal they are delivering on the colour and movement with balls and smiley faces and hats strewn everywhere. But the judicious use of popular music – everything from Vangelis and Frank Sinatra to the Nutcracker and 2001 A Space Odyssey – means the older members of the audience can have their own laughs too. Indeed, while the 5.30pm timeslot makes it suitable as the last fling for the day for young ones, the Trash Test Dummies will also prove an excellent way to kick off a night of Fringeing for others not so burdened.
While some of their catching occasionally reminded one of the efforts of English cricketer Michael Carberry, the big test for their continuous run til March 2, is whether they can collect all their props and repair the bins in time for the next show.
Luminous takes circus much later into the night with a total emphasis on ultra-violet light and its effects on paint applied to the bodies of the four performers. The opening scene sets up the show wonderfully with one of them being painted up as the rhythmical and at time pounding music sets the tone of the hour. After a while, one forgets there are humans involved and you get transfixed by the moving shapes and colours.
All the aforementioned circus elements are there and while the catching of the pins also had a touch of the Carberrys about it, the cylinder on the string act towards the end was totally engrossing, so much did all the subtle and sweeping movements of all three elements of that effort seem to float and vibrate without obvious initiating force.
Luminous is sure to be one of the highlights of the 2014 Fringe circus acts and as it’s in a small venue, be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Kryztoff Ratings Trash Test Dummies – 4K Luminous – 4K
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