Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay.
Wed 1-Sat 4 May
Tickets: £18-£22
words: Amber Bell
Frighteningly happy clowns with oversized feet and spinning bow ties; mountains of candy-floss and that annoyingly upbeat tune playing on a loop for hours on end; elephants and ringmasters, mime artists and glamorous assistants. These are some of the things that used to make up the circus scene in Britain, but times are a-changing.
Contemporary circus dispenses of all of these things, challenging your perceptions of what you thought a human body could physically do when pushed to its extremes. NoFit State are at the vanguard of this dazzling industry and if you get a moment to catch your breath, you’ll be subjected to a breathtaking spectacle of death-defying stunts.
The Cardiff-based company was set up 27 years ago when audiences didn’t understand that circus performances weren’t all shiny red noses and slapstick humour. The company has since seen audience perceptions change as they have continued to evolve into the UK’s leading contemporary circus company.
Everything about NoFit State exudes the raucous circus lifestyle, and this is something which creative director Tom Rack believes adds to the magic of their shows: “We’re one of the few circus companies that tour in the big top and live the circus lifestyle… We live together, work together, travel together, put the tent up and down together: it’s a real family spirit. I think that spirit comes across on stage with the team’s amazing trust in each other.”
This trust is stretched far beyond its limits in the company’s latest production, Bianco, which promises to be bigger, better and crazier than ever before. “I think it’s going to be our most accomplished show to date,” promises Tom. “Every year the show has got better and better as the skills of the people we work with increase and our understanding of the art-form increases and the audiences become more switched on to what we’re doing.”
It’s one of the most exciting things for Tom to be able to try out newer and more exciting things to shock audiences, and with this year’s show being abundant in fresh talent, he’s been able to integrate more spine-tingling skills and energy into the company. “Reforming the team shakes up the work we do, making us think about things differently. We’ve got some fantastic young lads this year who do trampolining, parkour and free running; for us that’s been very creatively exciting. We get to incorporate their individuality and personality to reinvent our world.”
This unforgettable theatrical experience, set on the backdrop of the Wales Millennium Centre’s Donald Gordon stage this April, invites the audience on stage, joining the performers on a journey of unexpected transformation. “It’s such a brilliant thing to bring the audience on up to the stage, to experience the venue from a different perspective,” enthuses Tom. And isn’t this exactly what NoFit State is all about; making audiences see the world from a different perspective? Audiences are set to enjoy a showcase of strength, agility and anarchic spirit. Alongside this choreographed chaos, there will also be graceful and breathtaking sets new to the company. “There are a few absolutely beautiful big image set pieces,” Tom assures. “They are almost cinematic in the way they look. There’s also more humour and new developments on every departure.”
The company has come a long way since the early days of battling with adversity and struggling to find new performers for their shows. Now they have their pick of the finest performers in the industry, regularly selling out UK tours. They have no aspirations to be Cirque Du Soleil, Their integrity in delivering the most exciting shows to audiences still lies at the forefront of everything they do as they constantly try to evolve their talent and exceed expectation. “Audiences come into our shows with an open mind… we make It our job to blow it for them,” concludes Tom.
Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk