Fringe dance and physical theatre reviews: I Think It Could Work | Inspired by Eastern Wind

Zoo Southside (Venue 82) until 17 August

At the start of this utterly charming show from Chicago’s Full Out Formula circus collective, we’re a group of strangers sharing a space. By the end, not only do we feel like a community – but as if we’re actually part of the troupe. The fact that the audience is in no way forced to take part, leave their seat, or intimidated in any way, is testament to the beating heart at the centre of this show.

Performers Kevin Flanagan, Liam Bradley, and Sierra Rhoades Nicholls exude warmth from the moment they walk on stage. They might be masters of their individual skillset (acrobatics and juggling), but we’re the ones in charge. Options are proffered and we decide what comes next, from simply choosing a number between one and ten, right up to dictating whether the routine is delivered upside down or not. Every interaction is devoid of ego and full of wit, reducing the children in the audience to peals of laughter and the adults chuckling happily.

With so much contemporary circus at the Fringe, the battle for audiences often comes down to the packaging wrapped around the tricks and flips. Flanagan, Bradley and Nicholls may not be the most athletic acrobats in town, but their moves are sharply executed with a delightful off-kilter edge. “You won’t see this anywhere else” we’re told at one point, and (unusually for the Fringe) they’re probably right.

Who would have thought watching someone balance a stick on their face, manipulate their torso to glide an egg yolk across their shoulders, or play musical chairs whilst chatting about their lives, would be so entertaining? But it very much is, and an hour in the company of this hugely likeable trio is a complete joy.

Kelly Apter

Inspired by Eastern Wind ★★★★

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53) until 15 August

Based on the traditional Chinese tale, Zhuge Liang Borrows the East Wind, Inspired by Eastern Wind celebrates and embodies the deep unity that exists between nature and humanity. In an impeccable display of street dance from a young company of Shanghai students, the performance impresses with its energy and vibrancy. It is like watching a ship being raised inside a bottle – what starts modestly suddenly explodes, with the action defying all expectations.

Inspired by Eastern Wind is marketed as unfolding into six poetic wind realms, though onstage these transitions are felt through shrewd changes in lighting and sound rather than explicitly signposted. Each dancer has their own unique costume featuring some blend of white and red, and the lighting design echoes this scheme by highlighting parts of the stage and directing one’s focus and attention between different dancers and motifs.

Speed is their strength, and slower moments, such as duets, hold a subtler magnetism and intensity than in group scenes. The use of beanbags is an anomaly, however. Conceptually, they could be islands or provisions, even souls, and practically, the company makes use of them for stunts, but their shape and heft seem so unlike the wind (though this contrast could be intentional), a powerful, mostly invisible element that has a visible effect.

Between scenes, the dancers mix at the side of the stage, cheering their castmates on, changing their costumes, and moving set pieces and props. It is a wonderful addition to the slick choreography onstage, which is of professional calibre and deserving of a bigger space – not least as the small stage seems a hazard to the company itself, as they graze the overhead lighting with their beanbags, or their limbs, from sheer physical power. Undoubtedly, Inspired by Eastern Wind promises a trove of talent, well worth the hunt.

Josephine Balfour-Oatts

LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story ★★

Pleasance @ EICC (Venue 150b) until 24 August

Audiences might be disappointed by the absence of narrative in LOLA: A Flamenco Love Story. While sections of flamenco performance, featuring live guitar and vocal accompaniment, are impressive, scenes bear only the vaguest of relationships to one another, especially when occurring in tandem.

Similarly, there is little connection between the choreography and Lola’s life, the details of which can only be inferred. A series of rotating characters further prohibits the audience from forming an emotional attachment to the piece, not including the frustration incurred by its overarching, anti-feminist message: women cannot live unless they are in love.

Josephine Balfour-Oatts

Raise The Barre ★★★

Assembly Rooms (Venue 20) until 24 August

There are no weak links in the cast of this exuberant dance show. Every single one of them attacks each move with verve and commitment. So if watching commercial dance set to rock and pop hits, delivered with the slickness of a promo video, is your thing, Raise The Barre is just the ticket.

The fact that this show is also being performed on a cruise ship for much of 2025 tells you two things: that the dancers are consummate professionals, and that it’s been designed to please the masses. There is nothing here, choreographically speaking, that you haven’t seen a million times before. And the central concept (such as it is) of a group of dance academy students attempting to pass their final exams is a token gesture thrown in at the start and end. The attempts at humour could also do with finessing, or getting rid of entirely to let the dance do the talking.

Similarly, the incessant calls for applause are completely unnecessary. There is enough talent in this large ensemble, which can turn its hand to ballet, contemporary, breakdance, gymnastics, and, of course, commercial, to keep people clapping without any need for encouragement.

Kelly Apter

Cirque Kalabanté: WOW (World of Words) ★★★

Assembly Hall (Venue 35) until 25 August

In a show that’s bursting with vibrancy and life, somehow, the quietest moment has the most impact. Cirque Kalabanté’s creative lead, Yamoussa Bangoura is the glue that holds this slightly haphazard show together. And while it may not always be apparent what his overall vision for the piece is, one thing is for sure - when he sits down to play and sing, you could hear a pin drop. Plucking West African string instrument, the kora, Bangoura’s voice fills the room with tones so weighty and compelling, you want the rest of the world to melt away so you can just listen to him.

For the most part, though, World of Words (a curious title that does little to reflect the show’s content) is wall-to-wall African beats, athletic acrobatics, contortionism and aerial work. Bangoura’s musical prowess aside, it’s the leaping, twisting, balancing and climbing that impresses the most, and sadly there’s just not enough of it. Too much time is spent wandering the stage, or repeating the same audience call and response. With so much strength and flexibility in its ranks, this exuberant company needs more opportunities to flex its talent.

Kelly Apter

The Ruckus ★★

Underbelly’s Circus Hub (Venue 360) until 23 August

Proving that skill and talent can only take you so far, this bitty production from London’s Revel Puck Circus is a concept in search of a show. The central narrative, of a flustered party host ill-prepared for the arrival of her guests, has potential.

But despite the best efforts of an enthusiastic, hard-working cast, there isn’t enough material here to cover 20 minutes, let alone an hour. A strong Cyr wheel routine, an enjoyable aerial hoop act, and some fun antics with a giant balloon prove Revel Puck knows what it’s doing. Sadly, The Ruckus gives its artists very little room to shine.

Kelly Apter