Cirque Berserk, Birmingham REP - review

However, when Carlos got to retiring age they couldn't continue with the act because they couldn't find anybody with the right calibre to replace him.

Circuses have changed considerably over the years. Lion-tamers no longer put their heads in lions' jaws and performing seals don't show off their musical skills. Nowadays the emphasis is on old-fashioned circus skills and Cirque Berserk brings these skills not to the conventional touring big-top out-of-town sites but to city-centre theatres.

Cirque Berserk also ramps up the thrill-factor by performing without safety-devices (except for just one act) and the thirty-five strong cast, drawn from four of the five continents, combine hard work and team-effort to create a spectacular evening's entertainment.

The Timbuktu Tumblers display amazing acrobatic talents, as well as some astonishing limbo-dancing, and the Bolas Argentinas use the traditional gaucho throwing weapons in what are obviously very dangerous routines.

Odka, the Mongolian contortionist, arrives in the smallest glass container before performing archery tricks using just her feet, while Jose and Gaby use elegant ballet techniques in their balancing act.

From Cuba the Tropicana Troupe uses see-saw devices to catapult performers high into the air to do gravity-defying somersaults.

Humour is provided by Scottish clown Tweedy, who began by showing what can be done with just a few simple props like a brush and a hat --and a great sense of timing. His other routines included a bicycle which transformed into a tall unicycle with the help of two audience members and a slap-stick, slack-wire act which may have looked very simple but was clearly a very clever piece of theatre.

I was fortunate enough to be accompanied by my six year old twin grandsons who were entranced and thrilled by the whole experience. For them this was the perfect half-term treat.

However, they were unanimous as to which was the most impressive act, and that was The Globe of Death. This had the Lucius Team on their four full-size motor-cycles hurtling at sixty miles an hour inside an eight foot diameter globe in a jaw-dropping performance.

Cirque Berserk appears nightly at the REP this week. However, there are afternoon performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and an extra-early matinee on Saturday.

By Jerald Smith