Showdown

"There can be Only One"- acatch phrase tag line which reverberates through the crowd with an ominous foreboding on repeat throughout the show. Only One winner. Only One can succeed. Only One to rule them all. What begins as a harmless, family friendly, colour coordinated circus game show gradually descends into a dark and honest commentary of the problematic aspect of modern culture.

Red, Orange, Blue, Yellow, Green and Purple. They don't have names but they all fit neatly into their manufactured boxes based on unwelcome stereotypes in the world of circus. For the women we had three contestants to choose from: "The Sexy One, "The Dominant One" and "The Quiet One". Can you guess which One got the most attention from the audience? Can you guess which One pushed her way to the front, clambering over her fellow contestants? Which One faded into the background because they had a baggy outfit on which didn't accentuate her tits and arse? The Master of Ceremonies - our sickly sweet, golden glittering game show host took a sweep of the audience asking who did we prefer after round one- Blue Blue Blue Orange Blue Orange. The male gaze reigns supreme. Sigh.

Now time to see what the guys have to offer. "The Strong One" "The Handsome One" and "The Funny One". All pretty standard tropes out in full force- but My Oh My were these boys competitive?! Shouting. Fighting. Squaring up to each other when they didn't get the points they felt they deserved. Let's hear it for Toxic Masculinity; here to ruin the party once again!

As the problematic narrative built and built throughout the show untip the unveiling of the troop's shiney new looks. Consisting of things cultural appropriation and gender binary. The discomfort and sense of injustice became palpable amongst the audience (unsurprisingly, the fine people of Norwich won't stand for any sexist, racist, homophonic bullshit in their city!) We wanted to see more from Purple, we wanted to know more about Red's back story and we certainly under estimated Green for sure! We love you for who you truly are Orange! Same as you Yellow and Blue - not just pretty faces- pure talent, poise and power!

The troop rallied together against the corporate evils in the last round which simply consisted of them literally throwing knives at each other to determine the winner. All colours unite and andbstand together. The final act culminating in a glorious show of tumbling, balancing, acrobatics and most importantly team work and a sense of community. Seeing the colours blend and merge, play to their strengths and support one and other was such a magical and heartwarming end to the show because it illustrated the need for acceptance, expansion of thought and collaboration inspired of difference.

I have seen hundreds of circus shows - deeply passionate about the art form, I never tire of watching ariel, hoop, rope and everything in between. The craft is exquisite. This show brought me something I'd never seen before in the form of ariel pole. A static pole spinning and suspended from the middle of the tent upon which Blue and Orange battled it out. It was absolutely mesmerising to watch them interlock with such strength and intertwine with such beautiful fluidity. This, along with Purple's hoop routine; which they delivered with an effortless cool, were certainly my Showdown highlights.

There were times where I felt the pace and momentum became a little lost in the dialogue between game show rounds. While our host was explaining to audience what would come next the contestants stood to attention at the back when we would rather just see them shine. All part of a bigger message I feel- very cleverly executed. However, the change overs with equipment were seamless and when the troop took the stage both in unison and individually they were so captivating, raw and incredibly impressive to watch from the front row.

It was a real treat to see Circus art which is both visually and physically excellent but that also communicates a deeper message for the audience about both equality, diversity and community.