Circus Geeks: Beta Testing

If there’s anything more awkward than watching a juggler drop their props, it’s watching a juggler drop their props 11 times in a row. That’s how long it took Circus Geeks’ Arron Sparks and Jon Udry to nail the centrepiece trick of this clever circus show – a complex number involving ten rings and a bit of human hoopla. Nervous gags were made. Fists were bitten. Heckles were unleashed.

Still, as the trio (which also includes Matt Pang, mute throughout) are keen to point out, juggling is the one performance art where mistakes are basically inevitable. In a slick, tightly packed hour (the aforementioned balls-ups notwithstanding), ‘Beta Testing’ charmingly deconstructs the noble art of throwing and catching, helped along the way by PowerPoint presentations and some seriously impressive tricks.

Highlights include a fantastically simple yet inventive piece using a mug and a tea bag, a hilariously clownish skit where faces get slapped with fish and a majestic, trippy finale, where the troupe perform a routine with fluorescent balls behind a video projection screen.

Naturally, those dropping in later in the run can expect a more polished performance, but even with so many faults the Circus Geeks deliver an innovative, endearing and entertaining show.