Pretty much whichever day of the week you see this show will be ‘super’ (get it?), because this UK-debuting curtain-raiser for Circusfest 2016 at the Roundhouse is so much fun. Just be warned that if you’re super religious, you should brace yourself for a brilliantly bonkers crucifix-cum-balancing act.
Where other circus troupes lean heavily on shock and awe to impress, Finnish ensemble Race Horse Company do everything with a loopy slacker mentality. Shuffling proudly on stage in fake horses, to a twangy soundtrack, they’re like pony-tailed Beach Boys in a backlot Wild West. They’re enjoying their adventure.
There’s a fairground-at-the-end-of-the-world feel to the industrial-style carousel frame and strongman set-pieces that kick off acts that roll into each other like everyone’s on an afternoon out. Hammers are chucked around with casually balletic grace and there’s a pendulum feat involving cling-film.
The fusion of effortless physical skill and a laidback style sometimes meanders into indulgence, with one seesaw act lasting just a little too long. But some clever, lighting-related misdirection means that a trampoline suddenly transformed into a ball-scattering pit, say, is superbly never far away.
There’s refreshingly little egging on the audience here, just a welcoming grin between acts. Boyish clownishness tinged with an enjoyably surreal wildness make this quirky, amusement park-themed show a winner. You’ll be as happy to be there as the performers are.