Shockingly strange – Sabotage Circus debuts in Brighton

From trapeze artists that will leave you hanging, to backflips wearing a Boris Johnson mask, Sabotage is a spectacle.

I have not been to the circus for at least a decade now, but after this performance, I would be flipping excited to return.

Facilities and environment

Located on The Level in central Brighton, Sabotage’s tent stands tall, nestled between trees and greenery. It’s practically impossible to miss. The atmosphere on opening night was friendly and welcoming – it felt very community driven. I was impressed before entering the big tent by the efficient entry and friendly service. After being greeted at the door with a warm welcome, the tent opened almost immediately, leaving no one standing outside in the cold for too long. There were merchandise stands, plenty of bins and clean portable toilets, and for once – genuinely reasonably priced food. I feel in this economy five pounds for a gigantic vegan hot dog is decent, along with the reasonable ticket prices and relatively inexpensive merchandise.

So many large performances nowadays feel like they are just there to suck your wallets empty, but Sabotage had a different feel.

They have created this space because they love performing, and they want to share this passion with you. It felt like a special invitation to their own wacky world.

Setting the scene

One thing to note about Sabotage is that the performance begins as soon as you enter the tent. The performers strut around as people begin to take their seats, throwing paper airplanes into the crowd, and asking questions in character. They even get ready on stage in character, they iron shirts, cycle around, skip holding hands, it was incredibly fun to observe. This initial immersion, and unusual start, set the tone perfectly for the rest of the evening. I was hoping for something strange, frantic, and fun. Sabotage circus certainly delivered.

Some spectacle indeed

I shan’t spoil too much of the show here, as I truly recommend you all see it for yourselves, but I was wowed. The first breathtaking performance was a woman who was elevated a good 20 meters into the air by her hair. She gracefully did tricks, swinging around and dancing as the crowds gazed up in disbelief. The impressive nature of the show was maintained throughout, with tightrope walkers doing flips and tricks, and acrobats diving through hula hoops.

Sabotage is not your typical circus. There are no clowns, no elephants, no fire breathers, it is all acrobatics. But this is a strength. It’s still entertaining and at points funny, but they use their movements to tell a story. Each performer is a character, an intricate puzzle piece which, when put together, creates a rather perplexing picture.

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Circus storytelling – It’s a balancing act

I will admit the storyline did have me lost a few times, with some changing atmospheres almost seeming a little confusing. There was world war one soldiers, disco dancers, and several political cameos. At one point an animatronic of Donald Trump’s head was wheeled around the floor before being beaten with lollipops. I am uncertain of the significance that this had to the storyline, but I liked it nonetheless. I even saw Boris Johnson do a backflip. So, I guess there is a first time for everything.

Despite the storyline being rather up and down, I enjoyed the slightly weird and dysfunctional nature of Sabotage circus. It was community driven, enthusiastically done, and wild. The circus is supposed to be fun and silly, and Sabotage embodies this, putting a spin on your typical circus to make it their own. I would also like to note that it was great to see the performers have fun, they all seemed to genuinely love what they do, and this enjoyment is certainly picked up by the crowd, making for a wonderful atmosphere.

Big top hit

By the end of opening night, the crowd was roaring with appraisal, it was a standing ovation all round, and a very well deserved one indeed. Sabotage circus definitely gave me my weekly fix of fun, it provided me with two hours of fantastic escapism for a perfectly reasonable price. What more can you ask for?

After my enjoyable evening out, I felt inspired to run away and join the circus. It is important that I note Sabotage circus is not aimed at children. But there are no adult themes, or explicit language that would prevent families from attending and enjoying.

Information

Tickets:

Concession: £18.50
Family: £18.50
Standard: £22.50
Running at The Level, Brighton, BN1 4ZN, until 1st September 2024.
Website: https://www.nofitstate.org/shows/sabotage/