Theatre Review: Traces – The 7 Fingers

‘The Electrifying circus sensation’, it says on the ‘Traces’ poster. But don’t come to the show expecting to see well trained animals and clowns; this is an urban, contemporary acrobatics show from performance group The 7 Fingers, spiced with dance routines, cheeky skits and comedies.

It takes place in a shack, and anything becomes a prop to tumble through, leap over, and balance on, whether it’s a pole, sofa, or a swing. As well as these dazzling performances of hoop diving, Chinese poles and aerial straps, the audience is also treated to plenty of delightful moments to make us laugh, smile and sometimes get a little nervous.

The show seems a bit slow at the beginning, but soon it soon engrosses the audience with feats the human body is somehow capable of performing. There are many ‘gasp’ moments, in which we find ourselves fearing for the safety of the acrobats, but those moments are exactly what hook us to the show. That, and the seven members of the troupe, who are all unique and endearing.

My personal favourite quirky moment of the night was a performer unexpectedly breaking into the ‘I’m so Ronery’ song from Team America: World Police. Music is diverse in genre, ranging from a  fusion of Scottish bagpipes and rock to salsa, but somehow the show pulls together into a poetic, humorous, energy-bursting modern circus – a show anyone could light-heartedly enjoy for an alternative night out.

‘Traces’ is on at the Peacock Theatre in Holborn from June 9th – July 12th – you can grab tickets here. Scroll down to see some shots of The 7 Fingers in action.