Petit Mal

Sometimes I go out a trifle reluctantly. What I had once decided to do doesn't seem such a good idea any more when it comes to the day. I felt like that Saturday night. Dodgy weather, I was going to see a Finnish circus theatre act in Stratford (I claim my Blue Peter badge for cultural diversity!) and most important of all, I was horribly late. I only realised that the Saturday performance was at 7pm, rather than 8pm (as the Friday performance was) when looking up exactly how to get to Stratford Circus.

So having nearly given myself a heart attack running to get there in time (actually I just missed the bell, but I comforted myself with the thought that I was in very good time if it had been 8pm as I assumed).

So it had better be good. And as so often when I go out reluctantly, I am damned please I forced myself. It was brilliant. But very hard to describe. Which is the problem of what might best be categorised as physical theatre. If you say "circus" it conjours up images of clowns and lion tamers. Acrobatics is a sport. And its not really dance, even though there is music and movement. I would say its closer to "acrobatics for entertainment" rather than to be competitive. It involved trampolining, and climbing Chinese poles, and squeezing into tyres, and simulated fight scenes, and balncing acts. It is a whole host of very impressive physical activities, but aimed at entertaining rather than just how high you can jump, how often you can somersault, etc. So there is also humour, and dressing up, and music (pleasingly a blast of Joy Division at one point). Frankly, I suspect many, many people would enjoy this sort of thing, but don't know about it, just because it doesn't quite fit into a familiar genre.

 But that's the point. You always have to go out and try something new. Its usually rewarding. Try everything except folk dancing and incest they say. Well I would add opera to that, but everything else is up for grabs.

I should add that Stratford Circus isn't a big top tent either, but a very bland modern theatre. But it serves its purpose.

I also took the opportunity to have a quick look around Stratford, the Circus being right beside the new Westfield centre and of course the Olympic stadium. Anyone who says the Olympics hasn't regenerated this area needs their heads examining. You will find they must have had a lobotomy. Am looking forward to the Games immensely. My tickets have arrived and I am raring to go.