I've just been to a circus. An acrobatic, gothic, circus. It was really amazing. You can read about the company here - www.nofitstate.com - you really have to get to a show if you can. i'm going to paste what i wrote in my LJ about it -

that was the best thing ever. It was not a circus in that sense - it was acrobatic, but it wasn't a performance, it was a SHOW. It started out in a bar in part of the tent, with a dentist's chair at one end and merchandise on the other. Anyway, an accordian player came out and walked around the crowd - he stopped at one of my sister's friends and asked her name. It's imogen. He had a french accent, he said he liked her name... he walked around the crowd more, talking an accordion'ing the whole time whilst a man in pinstripes mimed on the dentist's chair (it is very hard to describe what he was doing; he had a cane and 4 briefcases. At one point he peeled and apple completely into two bits - a trail of skin and the apple. Then he ate the skin, trailing it into his mouth... wow! All this was going one before the start of the show; everyone was still just talking and drinking. Above us, at the top of the dividing wall between the show area and the bar, there was a lady pulling the petal of a flower, and above her, a man taking a bath. The petals, she dropped and they floated down... the man in the bath, had a bubble blower which he was using to blow bubbles that dropped down.
Then the accordian player stepped up onto the bar and announced that the show was starting; still in character, with a french accent. We were allowed to walk around the stage area as we wished, there were rasied bits we couldn't go on, but we could get right in there and walk round the whole time. Sometimes, they'd clear the central area if the artistes were acting a part of the story on the ropes, but they never broke the narrative flow, they just had waistcoated people gesturing us to move back. The whole tent was really small, as well, you were right up close to the artistes, even when they were on the ropes, there were no barriers between them and the audience.
the entire thing was very gothic, pinstripes, lesbians, eye make up, it was great. Also there was alot of gusset and an entire scene about hula'ing. There was never any speech, in the show. They spoke with their movements, which were amazing. wow. it's ages since i've loved anything this much.
the show was about looking at humanity as a dieing breed; but there was also a loss of innocence and sex theme i thought, the first bit had a man offering a lady an apple, from a rope that tapered down from the top, which she bit into, greedily and lustfully. There was also a bit where, after a party scene, the same man, and a differently lady, shared a rope on the main stage. He climbed to the top of the rope very quickly, but as he climbed he had a hold of the bottom of the rope so that it made a swing, which she got into. Then he pulled her up, and they balanced with each other about halfway up. then tumbled down for about 3 minutes, over and over each other in different ways. All the time, there was live music going on, as well, the accordian player, a drummer, keyboardist, a bassist and the artistes all took turns singing. it was in two halfs that lasted 45 minutes. All the people in it where heartbreakingly beautiful. In one of the sexy bits, the lady pulled back from the rope, and leant her body parralel to the floor, while her man balanced her out on the other side of the rope... and as the music reached a climax, there was confetti that rained form the very top, and covered the audeince. A bit landed right in front of me, that i'd followed down with my eyes. It was actually an envelope. I picked it up, and inside it, was a piece of paper that said "He looked at me as though i'd disturbed a moment's silence".

i'm going to go see the same show again, if i can, because they're doing a few more days in manchester... i will have to try and get to some of the other dates as well, i think.

yes, excellent alternative entertainment.

I hope you don't mind me picking out the line that made me laugh out loud.

hehehe! you better go and see it now.. they have dates for this show here - http://kryton.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/nofit no bristol :( in fact, there's only edinburgh (sp?) and london left. it's up to you, londoners! and edinburghers! I know there are a few people in london on this board.. c'mon...

It sounds like something you might not want to take your parents to... bit embarrassing?

Wot, no clowns? :rolleyes:

hm, not really. it's all very /very/ artistically done, there's nothing that would make you think :o! or that you wouldn't see in, say, ballet. There were lots of kids there, actually. It wasn't completely sex all the way through. I went with my dad (who recomended it and got the tickets) and some family friends we've known for ages. It wasn't really embarrasing but i have quite open minded parents.

When my dad was describing it, it was pretty much a worded version of what i'd written, and i wasn't convinced at all. I went, but i wasn't expecting much. So, it's hard to describe how great it is, but it IS GREAT. it has to be seen to be believed.
(Also, if you go and you love it, i'll look less insane when i've written all that about how good it is and nobody else knows.)

I must admit, if it comes to Bristol at any point I am now intrigued.

i just booked some tickets for the london show on the 17th of september! hurrah for cheap first-night tickets.

I'm strongly tempted to go. Will have to check when I can make it!

well, the opening night tickets (saturday 17th september) are £7.50 and they're £15.00 (£10 concessions). they were twelve pounds in manchester, i suppose that's london pricing for you! added bonus for going on the first night - i'll be there!

they still have like 160 tickets (out of 200) availible, but most of the manchester shows did sell out before the day.

and the website promises me it's stephen hawking approved :blink:

I'm definitely going to go, but it depends when I can corral others into going - most likely on a week night.