Nofit State Circus @ Venue 155

Some shows might object to having their location described as a construction site. But in the case of No Fit State Circus, it's fitting to their methods – and it's literally true. Positioned at the start of Leith Walk, NFS Circus is easy to spot: it's the building site where a huge flying saucer has landed. “We had the tent custom-built for Tabu, to fit the dimensions and layout we needed,” Tom Rack, Creative Director, explains. “So while we were at it, we decided to make the exterior look different. It lets people know this isn't a regular circus.”

Rack is a bear of a man whose enthusiasm for NFS is like a force of nature – after our talk, it's impossible to leave without seeing some of the rehearsal. Then you can't leave before seeing the next routine, or the next. Rack just wants to show you everything -- explaining the technical details of each act, the brilliance of each performer, the rigging; wanting to tell you all about the music director, the stewards; finances, touring and NFS's position in the circus world. “We have 40 people in the team, and tonnes of kit. So nowadays, our normal audience is the big international arts festivals. Coming back to the Fringe is more of a risk. But that keeps us on our toes. Beside, it's good to perform back in the UK.” Indeed, Tabu has been touring Europe constantly for three years, but has only played the UK 16 times. The previous stop was Montreal – home of all three of the largest global circus companies. Rack can't hide his pleasure at the reception they received from their peers. “They loved us. Because we are so different from what they are doing – fresh.”

“Making things Fresh” is a theme for NFS. Taking apart and re-building is key to their practice. “Performers come with an existing routine – and we work with the artist to deconstruct it, then re-assemble it into a bigger thing. A brilliant performer on the Chinese Static Pole joins us. OK. So let's suspend the pole from a wire! We have a terrific trapeze artist. OK. So let's put her in an evening dress!”

This isn't just making life difficult for the sake of it: “It forces a fresh way of acting, of moving, of using the skills – a different way of adding an edge.” In keeping with this aesthetic, everything is on display during performance. “We don't have hidden wires – we show the physicality.” The riggers supporting the high wire artists become an integral part of the act. The performers are 'on stage' throughout – in a routine, or among the audience working the rigs, or even taking lead vocals with the live rock band.

Participation and spatial awareness extends to the audience too. The promenade format is essential: “Each member of the audience has to actively decide where to stand, when to move, and which of the simultaneous events to look at – and for any given audience member, events are happening beside them, behind them, or above them.” Rack talks about the audience experience in terms of multiple layers: “Even where you choose to stand has a big impact on how you see the show. Some people visit the show several times and get a different experience every time.”

Although the “pre-text” – as Rack terms it – of the show is based on Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, the show works by montage and imagery rather than narrative. “During the development workshops, weaving together the many different layers we have taken from the novel, the topic of fear – and fear as the final taboo – emerged as the strand the cast most wanted to emphasise. Fear: living with it, overcoming it, embracing it, using it for a joyous celebrate of life – this is a very real and personal issue for circus performers, and the introductory pre-recorded text is the cast's own thoughts and feelings about fear.”

It's a visceral topic, and NFS arrange everything to ensure the audience gets an emotional kick. “We don't present our performers as superhuman. We present them as ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They look real, dark, dirty: human.” The Promenade design ensures human contact, with the cast dressed as real people, mixing in with the audience (including costume changes), and the stewards getting the audience as close to the routines as is safe.

“It's like a painting – different people get different things from it. You don't need to know the book – but if you do, you can follow that strand, or you can enjoy the rock band, or the slapstick, or enjoy the performance as dance, or enjoy the imagery – or just have a good night out with your mates.
But I love it when I see people moved emotionally – it's not what they expect when they visit the circus.”