NoFit State Circus

With no clowns, lion-tamers or leotards in sight the NoFit State circus certainly doesn’t meet with expectations for a normal night at the ‘big top’. The eclectic mix of gravity-defying acrobatics, spoken verse and live music provided by the Welsh troupe provides a cocktail of sensory stimulation which no traditional ring master could match.

This is circus without the boundaries – it’s up front and in your face. With no ringside seats the audience bustles amongst the rigging, jostling for the best vantage points from which to enjoy this promenade performance up close – intimate enough to smell the sweat.

Making full use of the 360’ nature of the Roundhouse Theatre in Camden, performers dart across the floor and through the air in all directions, bombarding the audience from all angles on trapezes, ropes, hoops and trampolines.

But it’s not just spatial boundaries that are tested in this production. With an unusual juxtaposition of sex and acrobatics this is perhaps not the ideal performance for younger children, demonstrated by the number of families who didn’t return after the interval.

The undoubted highlight of the evening came in the second half with a performance by Natalia Fandiño, as Ursula “the originator and eater of earth”.  Performing to a silent audience with only a piano to accompany her amplified groans, she swung precariously from a static trapeze leaving those below spellbound and mystified by her painful contortions.

In contrast the rest of the evening took on a more frenetic nature with multiple acts teasing the eye and distracting attention, giving the impression of choreographed chaos rather than gymnastic brilliance.

The majority of the choreography was masterfully pulled off  as human bodies, pushed to their limits, flew through the air and held agonisingly protracted poses. So it was  a shame when the trapeze act responsible for bringing the first half to an ambitious close failed with their last routine, as one of the performers crashed to the floor amongst the audience.

This is the rough edge of contemporary circus and – despite the hiccups – many aspects of this performance were truly captivating. The unique synthesis of music and gymnastics brought the meaning of contemporary circus to life. Circus for the 21st century, no worse for the absence of red noses and comedy wigs.


NoFit State Circus at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH until 19th April
Brighton Fringe Festival  28th April - 10th May
Edinburgh Fringe 7th - 31st August
Wales Millennium Centre 11th - 30th September (tbc) www.nofitstate.org