The Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2023 is 17 days of music, performance theatre, workshops, dance, comedy, cabaret, outdoor arts and free events – an eclectic festival celebrating all things creative – it’s one of the oldest art festivals in the world.
Lots of events around the region and with many in the centre of Norwich with the main festival hub at Chapelfield Gardens where they turn the historic park into the Festival Gardens and occupy the bandstand with a varied programme of music to showcase some incredible new talent.
One of the highlights is the Admans Spiegeltent pitching up in Chapelfield – the amazing travelling tent with it’s wooden construction, glass windows and canvas drapes. Walking into this fabulous structure was filled with excitement, which only grew as you walked further into the dimly lit theatre. There were booths around the outside for the VIPs and the rest of us were in the ‘pit’ with wooden chairs butted up as close as possible in order to get in as many people as possible.
We were here to see Le Coup – a performing troupe from Australia, who put on a fabulous show of circus tricks, music, entertainment, laughter, all show casing their amazing talents as a tribute to funfairs and travelling showmen and women of yesteryear.
The performers were all interacting with the audience as we took our seats, whether it was helping themselves to our drinks, chatting with us, or lying across the seats, or laps, playing the spoons, magic tricks in the aisles… anything that seemed random was going on.
The show started with the Boss, the Ring Master who introduced the acts but also had a few surprises up her sleeve! They are a ragtag troupe of travelling misfits, each one being unique and characterful, yet together they put on an incredible show.
Sally the Ally Cat was lythe, demonstrating her flexibility and strength as she climbed ropes, entangling herself around them causing her to move effortlessly up and down, spinning around, and her hoop work was equally as breathtaking to watch – all while suspended from the middle of the room.
King of the Ring delighted the audience with his tap dancing, his humour, his prowess and his elegance while doing acrobatics and spinning with staps dangling from the ceiling.
Beaver the Diva was a character we were initially intimidated by due to her anger issues, however she won us over with the skills she has with her hair – slicing a lemon in half which is sitting on a fork poking out of a hat, whilst on someone’s head, with a sharp knife at the end of her ponytail which she swings around (!) – yes it’s an act that needs to be seen to be believed. Beaver’s balance work using her feet and four fans was ridiculous.
Boss showed us the leadership skills required of this group of characters which included knife swallowing and blind folded whip cracking with an unsuspecting member of the audience.
Then we had Fred – the hand balancing maestro. This man had a physique where you could see every human muscle, he was fit as. What this guy can do while balancing on his hands was incredible.
Music and so much more was supplied by Father Grant and The Blunt Objects who were The Bookie and Bloody Mary. Playing several instruments each they created their own energy, gifted musicians playing an original score to suit the acts, and even not to suit the acts.
It was a brilliant, brilliant show with unique acts, a fun and entertaining atmosphere and a show like no other. These guys are worth keeping a eye on to see if they come to a town near you!
To find out more about this amazing troupe click here.
This review appeared on GrapevineLIVE