Circus: Crash

Tonight, off to my last circus (and last event) of the year - Crash is at the Winterville Festival on Clapham Common. Tickets from SeeTickets. Sold out afterwards, it seems - I bought mine on Hallowe'en.

I discovered that the bus would take too long - but I could get a direct Tube in about half an hour! So I could leave nice and late - I took the opportunity to do a bit more work, and what with needing to go to the loo on the way out, did leave a bit later than intended. But hey, the Tube wasn't nearly as crowded as at rush hour, and came straight away - and I got a seat, which was handy with the distance I had to travel!

Clapham Common Station is at the northeast corner of Clapham Common itself. As long as you can point yourself in the direction of the common, Winterville itself is easy to find - the Ferris wheel is visible for quite a distance. Just follow your nose - walking along the main paths in that direction, you will come across the entrance. I was bricking it in the slow-moving queue to get in, as they checked our bags - I only had a few minutes till 7:30.

In I went, looking for a way towards the Circus sign I'd seen from the outside. But that turned out not to be it - instead, I ran into a massive queue to my left. Peering to the head of the queue, I saw a sign for the show! So be advised - it doesn't say "Circus", it says "Salon Perdu". This is the Spiegeltent, where the circus show is happening - and at 7:30, it wasn't even open for us to go in.

It opened shortly after, and the queue moved so slowly that it was 20 minutes before I took my seat - he was checking names off a list, in dim light. Not appreciated, with the unscheduled rain shower that poured down on us! Seating is either on the flat, or in reserved, raised booths, which cost slightly more. I chose a seat on the aisle, where I at least had an uninterrupted view of the very front of the stage. The show itself didn't actually start till nearly 8:10. In retrospect, the last place you want to sit for this show is directly facing it - side is much better. You might then avoid the glaring strobe lights that point straight from the back of the stage.

So I'm afraid I missed about half of the opening act, where a hare pirouettes in - I had to keep closing my eyes against the glare. At least you get warning when the bright lights are about to come on - the same piece of music always plays. Never mind, the balletic bunny - who hangs out (gracefully) at the bar in the interim - reappears on several occasions. The show lasts an hour, and the emphasis is heavily on ballet-style dance, and on rock music, some sung live on stage between acts.

There's a dreamlike quality to it - and with me missing sleep again, I'm afraid I had trouble keeping my eyes open in the middle. Absolutely no reflection on the performances, which are both accomplished and beautiful - if a bit slow-paced. The theme is supposed to be fairytales, although that just informs the mood - there's no major narrative. Just a suggestion that the bunny isn't as innocent as she seems, a hint of a love story, and a lass acting scared. I loved the feel of it - and I tell you what, the finale, a hectic aerial act, is worth the price of admission and the distance you have to come. I don't think I've ever seen an aerialist throw themselves so completely into a performance. Recommended. 18+ only. Performances again tomorrow (only unreserved seats) and on Saturday (only booth seats).

Outside, I braved some intense cold to have a look around. Winter Wonderland it ain't - no Christmas market for one thing, and it's a lot smaller. But they have a funfair, a two-screen cinema showing seasonal films, and the Spiegeltent, as well as some food stalls and bars, and alcoholic hot chocolate. Plenty of ATMs too, I noticed. Admission to Winterville itself is free, so worth a look if you're in the area - it's open till Sunday.

It was too cold to bother researching whether the bus would be faster coming back - I just took the Tube again. To find it on your way out, follow the lights. Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for Christmas - so, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! I might not be writing again before that.

I fly back on the 2nd, and on the 3rd I'm back with Walking in London for the Southwark Tour - Chronicles: Shakespeare's London. It's Funzing, of course, and I think this was the last I used my Funzing_Fb20 code for, getting a 20% discount. They've now apparently decided it's been used too often, and I'm down to a 10% personal discount.

On the 4th, I'm back at Soho Theatre for a comedy show - Jen Brister, with Meaningless.

The next few days are all Funzing, and the weekend is entirely with Look up London - excellent! She's so friendly, and always finds the most interesting tidbits for us. The 5th, I'm doing Unlock the Secrets of Fleet Street.

On the 6th, I'm doing The Greenwich Walk: Heroes and Villains.

And on the 7th, I'm with London Speaks Sessions, for a talk on Interviews With a Serial Killer. Funzing now have an Unlimited Talks option, where you can get unlimited talks for a month for £11.99 - however, not seeing anything else I fancy coming up that month, I've left it for now. As it is, I got a spectacular loyalty discount for this one!