JADAR

★★★★☆

Created by Aloft Circus Arts and directed by the company’s award-winning Shayna Swanson, Brave Space is an innovative and intellectual circus phenomenon with the message of intimacy and solidarity at its core, an all-female cast at the helm, and a uniquely child-like mysticism created by a blanket fort and the charismatic performers leading you through it. In their finest moments, they transform before your eyes, transporting you with their world of intricate aerial balancing, rope and hoop work and a low-tech yet fittingly flexible set.

After a secretive passage through the backstage of the Lowry’s Lyric Theatre, the audience gathered around a white, and gradually pulsating, mass. Soon, you realise the mass is in fact people, crawling and contorting between layers of fabric and ominously lit before the layers gather together and a giant dress-like structure is formed around one performer, popping her body through the top of the tent like a fashionista on high. 

This first section is accompanied by a ghastly amount of uncomfortable chatter, mimicking the feeling of overwhelming chatter, perhaps related to the news, perhaps to mental health… an uncomfortable cacophony juxtaposed by the serenity of the angelic dancers, clad in simple white bandages and straps, lace-exposed and vulnerable, creating the feeling that something could go wrong at any moment.

The cacophony repeats, “You will be safe”… an ironic sentiment when the sound creates so much unease, and yet the feeling of reassurance and safety are pivotal as the acrobats trust their audience to physically and metaphorically construct the intimate circus tent, support poles, throw hoops and hold ropes (enough to make participants feel involved without putting performers in danger)

Conversely, the audience are also entrusting the cast as they perform face-to-face, toe-to-toe with the audience, juggling, swinging, spinning, balancing, throwing props, and soaring elegantly through the tight space above you with ease.

In the blink of an eye, the tent transforms from a dress to a parachute, inciting the audience’s inner child as they are encouraged to wave the fabric as others crawl through to help construct the inner workings. Dimly lit silhouettes peak through, alongside protruding limbs and the scurried sound of shuffling of feet before the rest of the audience are allowed under the now tent-like structure… a changing and extendable pillow fort of our own making.

Inside the tent is where the performance really peaks, with the confident cast (Shayna Swanson, Zoe Sheppard, Linnea Ridolfi, Rachel Nesnevich, Heather Dart, Sarah Tapper, and Hayley Larson) interacting with and smiling at the crowd between stern breathing and empowering feats with hoops extended and thrown, and gorgeous performance on the Cyr wheel as it spins like a coin with one… no, two performers spinning mere inches away from the crowd.

My least favourite act was probably the hoop throwing – not to say that it didn’t include lots of control and practise, but in comparison to some of the more daredevil moments, it felt a little too familiar and tame.

In contrast, one act involved acrobatics from a rather wobbly pole, while another had them dancing in a tangle of ropes as they entwined themselves together, spun around the centre, weaved an artistically sprawling web, or climbed and flipped over each other with cloth suspending them in mid-air as the audience lies beneath. The performers were accompanied by melancholic soundscapes, as well as the appropriately named ‘Bird Gerhl’ by Anohni and the Johnsons. They swirled around, confidently exerting their strength and control in every movement, and yet I can’t say I was as spellbound as I had anticipated. 

Their gorgeous display of skill and acrobatics was undeniable, the friendship and trust was tangible, and the tent was the most unique and transformative piece in their repertoire, and yet the tent didn’t have the intimate and entrancing quality I had expected.

While fabrics swirled, hoops swivelled and new features magically appeared between each segment, the slight overcrowding in the tent made it a rather uncomfortable experience at times. While it created an elegant backdrop, it also pushed the crowd into a small ring, packing us a little claustrophobically together, to the point where I struggled to get up or sit down without bumping into people, and I couldn’t join the rest in lying down as there was no more space, and a few taller members ended up poking their heads into the tent walls at the edges.

While its not the biggest of concerns, a large crowd in such a small space, while fitting for that sense of discomfort and ‘danger’ built in the brave space of acrobatics, unity, hope and trust, did limit how impactful and mesmerising the show could be for a slightly smaller group… one that regains that intimate feeling with a little more space to fully gage the wonder of such a unique and powerful experience.

That tighter knit would also perfectly fit the communal essence of the show and would add that missing sprinkle of circus fairy dust on an otherwise entertaining show, but I understand why they tried to fit as many people in as possible to join the experience.

Brave Space is an uplifting and innovative take on circus, inviting the audience to join this extremely talented troupe in their transforming tent, but the sometimes-uncomfortable lack of space limits some audience members from freely joining the fun.

Yet, it can be both startling and dreamy, uncomfortable to sit in yet enthralling to watch. While some performances feel familiar, the sense of unity, the inviting nature of the cast’s stellar performances, and the up-close perspectives offered to the audience are truly unique take-aways.

Brave Space runs at The Lowry until July 20 and wraps up its current tour at IDM Arena, Lienz, Austria on July 24.