The Insect Circus

With its quasi-Victorian curiousities, alarmingly flexible women and a handful of corsets thrown in for good measure, The Insect Circus seems to justify its place in the Spiegel Garden, a venue renowned for its quirky yet talented array of cabaret, burlesque and circus performers. However, this performance falls short of expectations: in reality this is less of a circus and more of a horror show.

From the outset it becomes clear that the show will be rather a rough ride. The ringmaster who introduces each successive performer has less life in him than the mechanical ladybird which features in one of the acts. More alarming than the talentless ring-master is the performers' apparent lack of skill. After several clumsy acrobatic acts, the appearance of a knife thrower induces a dreadful sinking feeling. This fear intensifies when the first knife thrown at his hapless assistant misses and crashes to the floor.

The performance is redeemed by some talented acrobats, who bravely struggle to hold the show together, but unfortunately nothing can disguise the amateur nature of this production.