Closer by Circa

• Yasmin Sulaiman
• 12 August 2016

This article is from 2016.

credit: Luke MacGregor

Acclaimed Aussie company do it again in this infectiously fun, and funny, show

Even as the standard of circus at the Edinburgh Fringe keeps getting higher, Circa consistently shine bright as one of the best circus acts around.

They've had three consecutive years of great shows at the Fringe – Wunderkammer, Beyond and 2015's Close Up – and Closer is, yet again, wonderful stuff from the remarkable Aussie company.

The five performers here are all dressed in black, with a chair each for props on an otherwise bare stage. It seems like a sober start, but the grins on their faces already tell us this is going to be an infectiously fun hour. It begins with a spellbinding rope routine that instantly has the audience in awe, and that rapture builds with every consecutive sequence.

When a hula hoop comes out – a rare flash of colour – you fear Closer has strayed into the staid, but the segment builds up gloriously until the performer's wearing a stack of them like jingling bangles across her body.

Yes, it's packed with astounding physical feats and breathtaking acrobatics. But what makes Closer truly special is its sense of camaraderie. This is a show about friends having fun, and it's hilarious – funnier than a good chunk of comedy you'll see this month. That these five wonderful performers can move with such fluid precision is one thing. But to laugh while doing it? That's magic.

Underbelly George Square, until 29 Aug (not 23), 6.55pm, £17.50–£18.50 (£16.50–£17.50).