Sequence 8

Modern circus shows don’t usually feature much chat. But this piece from Québec-based company Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) kicks off with a few words. ‘The performer cannot exist without an audience,’ a man says into a microphone. ‘We’re all connected.’ He and several other performers pop up repeatedly to take the piss and explain the themes throughout this pared-back show. In ‘Sequence 8’ the banter flows.

The natter is an attempt to set this piece apart from the seemingly endless supply of new acrobatic product from Canada. As with most (barring Cirque du Soleil, of course), there are no strings or fancy leotards here, just a reliance on what the body can do. At its simplest, ‘Sequence 8’ is superb. Eric Bates performs a set piece, juggling bricks with astonishing dexterity. On a long, bouncy pole balanced on two performers, Alexandra Royer jumps high into the air, then somersaults and twists before landing again on the thin bar. The acrobats clamber up and down a huge Chinese pole with barely a thought, and Royer also does some beautiful work on a swinging hoop.

But it’s the extra guff that jars. Worthy and dull contemporary dance sits oddly alongside the wilfully irreverent talking bits. A serious section where black tape is wrapped around standing bodies in a spider’s web (another demonstration of how ‘connected’ we are) is just lame. And a silly rap battle feels like an unnecessary diversion.

There’s no doubt that the circus in ‘Sequence 8’ will have you gasping in disbelief. But trying to mix gravitas with throwaway humour confuses things and detracts from the talent, the daring and the pure enjoyment.