Mimbre: Until Now

Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Sat 17 July

**

“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation,” wrote Elizabeth Drew. It’s not often that I find myself agreeing with the eminent right-wing political journalist, but in the case of Until Now I’m willing to make an exception. This show from female trio Mimbre takes travel as its theme, fusing acrobatics with physical theatre and dance, and while its blend of modes of expression is exciting, it’s less liberating than it sounds.

Mimbre takes place at a crossroads. Three girls are sat with a huge pile of suitcases, preparing to part ways. They interact with one another for about an hour, wordlessly interpreting the emotions that accompany any farewell. They dance, scale towers of suitcases, and perform a mixture of cooperative acrobatics, physical theatre and even slapstick. There’s a bit of bickering, but for the most part the action is cooperative and the narrative limited, since it depends upon the cooperation of the three artists. For a show that thrives upon the fluidity and agility of its performers, it’s surprising just how static it feels.

Despite Until Now’s weaknesses, it is beautifully understated. The three artists perform with an air of effortless naivety that makes their impressive stunts – a handstand atop a precariously balanced stack of suitcases, for instance – all the more bewitching. The twee charm of the show stands in deliberate opposition to the bombast of almost every other circus show, and it is its greatest asset – but it’s also its most polarising aspect, and there are doubtless others, like me, who might find the last 20 minutes a little too saccharine to bear.

Until Now harnesses the talent of three outstanding acrobats and talented performers, but struggles to live up to the sum of its parts. It’s endearing, but also a little directionless.