Ed Fringe 2016: Driftwood at Assembly George Square Gardens

Hailing from Australia, Casus Circus bring their new show, Driftwood, to the Edinburgh stage in a graceful flurry of tightly honed demonstrations of skill, taking in tumbling, dance, physical theatre and traditional high-wire circus disciplines.

Routines are linked through transitional scenes in which the troupe interact with a single red lampshade hung from above, and these, along with chicly co-ordinated costume, lend a distinctive autumnal motif, if not a concrete narrative, to proceedings.

There is plenty of variety within the one-hour running time, which comprises both spots that showcase individual’s specialities and those that reveal their strength in numbers. Often, a performer is elevated by their colleagues to subtly lend a supporting or guiding hand to another, and demonstration of the things that can be achieved by the power of the collective is an overarching theme. 

Staged in the round, Driftwood fills the space within Assembly’s Spiegel tent incredibly well. A section performed on an aerial ring sees one company member rotating at dizzying speed just a few feet above the heads of those in the front row, and platforms of varying designs of purely human construction are frequently built to literal death defying scales as high as the ceiling will allow.

While the tools and methods on show have been on display in circuses throughout history, Driftwood is constantly shot through with unique and imaginative moments that lend an utterly contemporary feel. For many, this will be their first encounter with head-stand trapeze or the shoulder-to-shoulder vertical human tower, and such gasp-worthy moments are what make this performance a tremendous fit for the Fringe, and one to catch if you’re at all able.

Stuart Boyland

Driftwood is on at Assembly George Square Gardens from 11^th until 28^th August 2016, for further information or to book visit here.

Watch the company discuss Driftwood here: