Letní Letná, a well-established Prague festival of new circus, brought three French companies this year. People who saw all the performances definitely did not make a mistake – a possibility to see various forms of new circus emerged as well as chances to reveal what is hidden in this scenic form.
The greatest spectacle was well-known Cirque Trottola who was not at Letní Letná for the first time. Its big red tent dominated the space at Letná though an unacquainted viewer would never thing that only three people – tiny trapezist and acrobat Titoune, acrobat-bouncer Mads and juggler Bonaventure – filled the huge marquee. The main props of their Volchok performance were huge bundles of straw pulled, wrestled and carried by performers – they seem to represent an age-long burden born by a person.
We cannot say that a performance (its name means a “whipping top” – like trottola) had a coherent plot. It is a sequence of brilliant acrobatic and juggling performances tied by atmosphere, performers’ personalities and general figurativeness of their behaviour. Titoune draws the greatest attention – with a child-like body and a short haircut, she reminds us of a dwarf who is always surprised and seems not to notice how s/he happens to be above Mads’ head balancing handstand on his arms. Titoune’s body is unbelievably trained and built-up therefore it allows her to balance not only on Mads but also on various objects in the ring. One of the most breathtaking scenes is an étude with a giant broom. Bonaventure wanted to dust a bit but he eventually carries balancing Titoune on it and audience shouts with excitement what a brilliant performance can be created only with the help of a common broom. This is another characteristic feature of this circus, they use common things, everything is a bit dusted, without glitter but real.
Two live musicians sitting on both sides take care of accompaniment. They also create various sounds which nicely support what is happening on the stage. A viewer leaves one and half hours later and s/he is surprised what can be made up. Cirque Trottola is an interconnection of artistic efficiency with humour, theatricality and seeming commonness and it did not disappoint.
Two veterans of new circus – former members of famous companies Cirque O and Que-Cir-Que Didier André and Jean-Paul Lefeuvre – brought one of the smallest tents to Letná. As Atelier Lefeuvre & André, they created La Serre (Skleník) performance. A game that lasts only thirty minutes does not let the viewers to relax. Two strange men-gardeners do various activities in the tent and their originality surprises again. Jean-Paul looks like being silly but his body is in great condition and he shows it using various solo acrobatics as well as crazy objects like a hand-barrow. In this couple, he is the one who is active and creative whereas Didier plays the role of an “old grumpy man” who wants to live in peace. But in moments when he is forced, he surprises with accurate jugglery, charisma and humour. Although the performance is short, it is full of ideas and actors’ performances and all viewers can enjoy them in a miniature tent where they can almost touch both protagonists. Comic music accompanying their actions is original as well – they play it from an old transistor and next to it, there are tape-recorder cassettes hanging on a clothesline pinned by pegs. Every movement in this small space is well-thought, every trick is mastered but you would never say so thinking of these two “elderly artistes”. The audience keeps laughing during thirty minutes and admires ideas and exactness. Experience of new circus performers is shown in “La Serre”; they have experienced many things but this performance was created for fun.
At the end, a young artists company Le Boustrohédon arrived with their performance Court-Miracles. It was the only company that offered humour as well as a serious topic – the performance originated during a company’s stay in the Gaza strip where its members played for children affected by a war conflict. They created a performance that brings us to a front, to a war hospital. Le Boustrophédon differs from other French performances at Letní Letná because it brilliantly incorporated puppets in its performance. There are four live actors in Court-Miracles; they wear puppets and several half-human, half-puppet characters originate. The way how puppets are used is very inventive – we can see an acting puppet but we know that a human being is hidden somewhere inside; or an actor plays and a part of his body is a puppet. It sounds trivial but the design is unique. The whole performance runs through the story of the injured and nurses in a war zone. But it is not “only” a story with puppets; actors remain acrobats and jugglers and therefore we witness tightrope walking, superb roller skates riding or tricks with a cigarette. This war spectacle as the only one uses a live animal. Although new circus does not work with animals, we have a little exception here: a live and quite skilful mouse runs in a hospital and also on a tightrope. All actions do not lack humour, viewers laugh but also fear because a girl without legs or a soldier without an arm perform funny scenes. Black humour when laughter liberates. Chilliness but also great courage and anxiety to live is interconnected in Le Boustrophédon and it successfully widens possibilities of new circus.
We cannot emphasize only one performance from this year’s French triathlon. Each of them was brilliant and brought exactness, superb performances and originality. It was not only about artiste scenes but also about profundity of a message, theatricality and humour. This is what is so attractive about new circus not only at Letná but also in the whole world.
Written from the performance on 20th August 2009 Cirque Trottola, 24th August 2009 Atelier Lefeuvre & André, 31st August 2009 Le Boustrophédon
Josef Bartos
Thank you for your thoughts. One got stuck in my mind – that passion makes us different from AI. Just yesterday I read…I am a dance critic. I am a member of an endangered species