They say that good things often come in small packages and that is certainly true of Showdown – the latest production appearing at the New Vic Theatre.
Directed by Victoria Dela Amedume with input from comedian Athena Kugblenu and musician Afrikan Boy, the show packed a huge amount of entertainment into its 65 minutes and produced a standing ovation from the audience.
Ostensibly about a game show designed to find the next face of circus, the audience is present at the televised live final and it is heavily involved in the awarding of points to decide the winner of a season in Vegas.
Rhys Hollis does an excellent job as the over-ebullient compere and introduces the six finalists – Red (Shane Hampden), Orange (Rebecca Solomon), Yellow (Loris De Via), Blue (Gracie Hill), Green (Kussyl Amara) and Purple (Jaide Annalise) – and takes them through the various rounds of competition to decide the ultimate winner.
As the competition develops, Hollis becomes a much less likeable person as he shows his favouritism, puts certain contestants through humiliation and attempts to take them out of their comfort zone. The would-be circus artistes are put through rounds of head to head and improbable group contests but will the compere find one competitor who will find the urge to win no matter what harm is done to the rest of the players? How much humiliation are the acrobats willing to undergo? And how willing are the participants to suffer serious injury to claim top spot in the global competition?
In reality, all of the “competitors” are famed for their expertise in circus work and this international array of stars has the audience on the edge of their seats as they witness breath-taking acts of trapeze and aerial work, a spectacular exhibition of teeterboard entertainment, balancing displays, juggling – and rubik cube solving. And just to prove that circus acts do nor need to be death-defying to provoke gasps of wonder, there is a beautifully artistic presentation of work with the Cyr wheel from Annalise.
Regular patrons of the New Vic have seen the participation with Upswing developing in the productions and Showdown is an example of a blossom turning into a beautiful flower. With comedy, music and delightful daredevil movement, this did not feel like a showdown and gave a super upswing in spirit for all of those who watched – and participated in – a fabulous show.
