Christmas Comes Early: NoFit State Circus Presents BIANCO for the Southbank Centre's Winter Festival

Delia Ceruti and Joachim Aussibal get tied up in NoFit State's BIANCO, photo courtesy of Seventh Wave

             NoFit State Circus has brought its Big Top tent to London as part of the Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival with a new version of its promenade show BIANCO.

             BIANCO takes the circus back to basics, in an environment that belongs to the performers who occupy the space just as much as the rapt audience who follows each heart-stopping move within it. The show is fluid, inviting the undulating audience to move forward to take a closer look and then step back to fully appreciate the beauty.

             Founded in 1986, Cardiff-based NoFit State delivers contemporary circus. The company is one of the few that still tours like a traditional circus, with everyone travelling and living together, as well as helping to put up the Big Top and operate the rigging systems in the show.

Photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton

             After Lyndall Merry, 32, from Wales completed circus training in Bristol, it was a life on the road doing what he had always dreamed of doing – trapeze. “I love performing. I get a real thrill out of performing. I love it when you’ve got a really good crowd who are giving you lots of energy. That feeling is incredible when you’re on point and everything’s easy and you’re giving to them and they’re giving back to you.”

             As well as being a trapeze artist in BIANCO, Merry is also the head rigger, which means that he designs and installs all of the flying systems. As the performers are suspended in the air, their fellow performers work in the shadows to support them with each smooth ascent and descent.

Danilo de Campos Pacheco, photo courtesy of  Maike Schulz

             Merry says, “People anticipate the hours of practice and training that go on to hone the disciplines and the skills, but it’s the technical community aspects that people don’t quite realise. They imagine that there’s a team of technical people, a team of laborers, that do the hard work, but actually, we do it.”

             If silly clowns and gimmicky balloon tricks are what you’re after, this is not the show for you. Directed by Firenza Guidi, BIANCO is both rough around the edges and tenderly executed, supported by an incredible live band.

Cecilia Zucchetti, photo courtesy of Seventh Wave

             A juggling pin goes astray here and there, while filled wine glasses wobble in the hands (and feet) of a contortionist, but the acts are done so deftly that I begin to wonder if the cast is just playing tricks on us. The contortionist in question is Ella Rose, 22, who originally hails from Australia and has joined the company for the London season of BIANCO.

             Rose points out that she was really bendy as a child, which predisposed her to contortion. Growing up in Albury, Australia, she toured with a children’s circus called the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School during her primary and secondary school years. She notes that the hard work came in when she had to learn how to be strong and how to control her body without hurting it.

Ella Rose during her contortion hand balancing act in BIANCO, photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton

             When asked what people would be surprised to know about her line of work, she laughs, “Maybe how many bruises I have that you can’t see. I think particularly for some of the work that I do, the feedback that I get afterwards is, ‘You look so beautiful and you make it look so easy’ and then I’m like, ‘My legs are six different shades of blue.’”

             There’s intentional mayhem as well as artful precision within the show. Francois Bouvier nimbly glides across the tight wire, slinking down into the splits, and Delia Ceruti rises and falls on a rope suspended in the air.

             The finale is dominated by Augusts Dakteris, who uses the strength of his body to maneuver around aerial straps, bringing the audience to a standstill. Just when I think the scene couldn’t get any more magical, it begins to snow – Christmas has come early.

Augusts Dakteris in the middle of a snowstorm, photo courtesy of Andrew Billington

            BIANCO has been seen by over a quarter of a million people in 11 different countries during its four-year run. The last time it was performed in London was in 2013 at Camden’s Roundhouse and London is now the last leg of the show before NoFit State begins research in 2017 for a new show.

             Merry says that the company has been working with the promenade style of show for 15 years, but the next goal is to create a seated show that still provides an immersive atmosphere and the same level of audience interaction.

Enni Lymi, photo courtesy of Tristram Kenton

             BIANCO will run at the Big Top, Southbank Centre, until 22 January 2017. Circus workshops, pre-show Q&A's, and seasonal performances are all available. Find out more and book tickets here. Although it is a promenade show, seats are available on request. Take advantage of the bar inside the tent, or outside at the Winter Festival, where you can warm up your hands over a fire while gazing into a big, beautiful London Eye.

Edward Scissorhands Cuts Straight to the Heart

             The true test of a great show is when the audience leaves wondering how the time could have possibly elapsed so quickly. Another is when the dance moves all look completely effortless, but you know that they are anything but easy. This is the power that choreographer/director Matthew Bourne holds with all of his dance productions. As the puppeteer who manipulates the strings, Bourne leaves you spellbound as a visionary fairytale is woven in front of your eyes. If you couldn’t tell already, I highly recommend Bourne’s work, having previously attended performances of Swan Lake (find my review here), Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker! Now I am able to add Edward Scissorhands to my ever-growing list. The show ends its run at Sadler’s Wells Theatre this month on the 11^th.  All tickets unsurprisingly sold out, so I apologize that they will be unavailable to purchase after I rave about it!

It's probably best that my friend and I leave it to the professionals...

             Bourne wanted to rework Edward Scissorhands for the stage ever since he saw the 1990 film directed by Tim Burton. The film has become a cult classic in its own right and usually pops up on television screens around Christmastime, just as it did this past year. If you don’t know the story, it follows quirky outsider Edward, who is the unfinished creation of an inventor who died before completing the job. Edward’s quest for love and acceptance proves not to be so easy, as his many efforts are thwarted and made more difficult due to having scissors for hands. The cookie cutter suburban town Edward finds himself in doesn’t know what has hit it!

 Johnny Depp, the Edward Scissorhands we have come to know and love, "teetered on the verge of tears throughout" Matthew Bourne's production and paid a visit to the cast backstage, photo courtesy of Sky TV

             Edward Scissorhands is a beautiful story in general, but when it’s coupled with tender dancing to music from Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, we are left with an even more melancholic and enchanting story. As with all of Bourne’s productions, the stage is a hotbed of activity. Since no talking is involved, the dancers have to rely on relaying nonverbal cues and facial expressions to the audience. This assumes a certain amount of perception from the audience members, because with such a busy atmosphere, it is up to us what we decide to hone in on and what we decide to leave in the periphery.

Domesticating Edward, photo courtesy of Johan Persson

             For example, take the scene where the residents attend a Christmas dance. Edward starts to feel awkward and ashamed as he sizes up the dancers around him, each with two perfect hands. He cowers away from the dance floor, opting instead to slope around the outskirts. The embarrassment on his face is apparent and the longing he feels for Kim, who is dancing with her boyfriend Jim, is written all over his face. I divided my attention between the rest of the cast dancing and Edward, because by himself, his body language and pained visage told a story of its own accord. Details like this are precisely what will draw audiences to Bourne’s productions over and over again. Your observational skills and level of appreciation will continue to grow right alongside your number of viewings.

Photo courtesy of Johan Persson

             The idyllic neighborhood is made up of quaint homes and quaint people. The houses are painted in cheery hues, with cheery faces that emerge and retreat from their doors. There are the obligatory cheerleaders, jocks, doting mothers, and hardworking fathers. Despite appearances, the town holds its fair share of secrets as well. Joyce is a lonely housewife who regularly cheats on her husband and that shines through in her brilliant, sexualized dancing persona. She tries to seduce a very confused and frightened Edward, while the religious fanatics try to repel Edward with their crosses and prayers.

Photo courtesy of Johan Persson

             The breathtaking set borrows recognizable Burton-esque elements from the film. However, as to be expected, there are unique alterations that add a spin to the original. Edward finds nifty alternative uses for his “hands,” such as pruning bushes and hedges into animals, ice carving (which involves a scene with a gorgeous ice angel sculpture prop), and even making a job out of giving the neighbors “edgy” new haircuts. The production introduces a lovely dream sequence where Edward imagines that he has real hands. He is able to flirtatiously chase Kim around a garden made up of shrubs and trees decorated into shapes, which are actually people. They playfully join Edward and Kim’s game, concealing and revealing the two blissful imaginary lovebirds.

Edward and Kim share a tender moment, photo courtesy of Johan Persson

             As for Dominic North, who plays our antihero Edward, anyone who can forgo opposable thumbs, trade them in for workable scissors (albeit false ones), and still manage to dance gracefully must automatically be dubbed as a seriously standout dancer. Indeed, North was nominated for Outstanding Male Dancer at the National Dance Awards in 2010. The irony of Edward Scissorhands though is the fact that Edward is gentle and peaceful. He doesn’t use his “scissorhands” with malicious intent, although he could well do. Jim, however, is rough and ready with his hands, using force with Kim and having an eventual blowout with Edward.

The neighborhood kids, with Kim and Jim front and center, photo courtesy of Johan Persson

             The story stands as a testament to human nature; we lash out against and attack what we don’t understand. Just as we are about to claim that nice guys don’t always finish last and Edward and Kim finally kiss, Edward is exiled once more to his former house upon the hill. As the cast took their final curtain call, they stayed in character until the very end, and as the applause subsided, we were all left wondering how the time could have possibly elapsed so quickly.

             For upcoming performances at Sadler’s Wells, visit the theatre’s website here. Explore the Edward Scissorhands production on the New Adventures website here. New Adventures is Bourne’s company with co-director Robert Noble.

Photo courtesy of Johan Persson

Have Yourself a Merry Little Manicure

 Festive nails courtesy of Prettly

             After a grueling week, I finished my final exams at university this past Friday (hoorah!). I dashed out of my last exam to be greeted by my light at the end of the tunnel, which came in the form of Prettly. Prettly is a new beauty technology startup in London where you receive a lot of bang for your buck. They offer services such as manicures, pedicures (both Shellac and classic), hair, and make-up…all delivered straight to your doorstep, your office, or another location of your choice!

             While it can be said that most women love a good pampering session, looking good takes time (take note, boys!) and sometimes that’s time that we simply don’t have. Prettly works under the premise of convenience. Founder and CEO of Prettly.com, Rhea Papanicolaou-Frangista, comments that “anything from ordering groceries to taxis can now be done with a tap of the phone.” Papanicolaou-Frangista and Co-Founder and Head of Marketing, Farrah Hamid, discovered a gap in London for women’s beauty needs, and then they filled it.

My friend receiving her pedicure

             Prettly’s mobile-friendly website couldn’t be more simple to use and it caters to the busy lifestyles and schedules of women on the go. All you need to do is first create an account on Prettly.com, and then through a series of quick steps, you select the treatment(s) of your choice, the date, your beauty professional, and the time. From there, you whip out the plastic and pay for your treatment(s) without having to worry about it on the day.

             I opted for a Shellac manicure and a classic pedicure, while my friend chose a Christmas-themed pedicure. Beauty treatments don’t have to be a solitary activity, but they can be a fun, relaxing hangout for you and a friend. In a typical nail salon setting, however, this usually means you aren’t able to sit together, which means no talking either! What’s the point of a good girly catch up without the gossip?! When my friend arrived at my flat, she came toting wine and sweet treats to celebrate the end of the semester. With winter starting to stretch its frosty wings, Prettly provides the perfect solution for not wanting to brave the cold, or even trade your pajamas for clothes…

My friend's mistle-"toes"

             I was very impressed with Prettly’s efficiency and coordination. Before my appointment, I received a reminder email and text and our lovely beauty professional, Nicoleta Rambu, arrived ten minutes before her scheduled appointment time. Prettly’s beauty professionals are vetted and tested by the team beforehand. They are then rated and reviewed by the customers after each treatment, which maintains the high quality standard.

             Rambu brought a carryall with wheels, which held all of her products and supplies, including a blowup basin in which to soak our feet. All I needed to provide were towels while Rambu provided the rest from her Mary Poppins bag! My friend and I were given the ultimate luxury experience as we simultaneously sipped wine while resting on the comfortable chairs in my flat, our nails primped to perfection, and our final exams far from our minds.

Nicoleta Rambu, our Prettly beauty professional, and my Rudolph red nose nails

             Rambu was amiable from the start and really helpful, giving my friend and me tips throughout. What I liked the most about Rambu was that she took her time and actually ended up staying with us for around four hours!  She showed me multiple shades of red and let me test each one out before making a decision. The type of red, whether cherry or more along the orange spectrum, is very important you know! Rambu only left when she was (and we were) completely happy with the results. By the end of the appointment, Rambu was laughing and joking along with us in our silly antics and I’m certain it’s not the last I’ll be seeing of her!

             Prettly has very generously offered a 10 percent discount off your first treatment with them if you email bookings@prettly.com with the code PRETTLY-FOR-LDN-DREAM in the subject line. Treat yourselves this Christmas! Get started on Prettly's website here. 

Ho, ho, ho: 'tis the season to be jolly!

Winter is Just a Walk in the Park

             Having initially moved to London from Germany, I thought there would be no substitute for the famous German Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte). My premature assumption was proved wrong by Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. This was my second year attending the spectacle, and from the mulled wine (Glühwein) to the aptly German-named stalls to the transformative state of the park, Winter Wonderland had me every bit convinced, and a lot less homesick. 

             Having initially moved to London from Germany, I thought there would be no substitute for the famous German Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte). My premature assumption was proved wrong by Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. This was my second year attending the spectacle, and from the mulled wine (Glühwein) to the aptly German-named stalls to the transformative state of the park, Winter Wonderland had me every bit convinced, and a lot less homesick.

Photo courtesy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

             Where my flatmate and I currently reside in Bayswater, we live in close proximity to Kensington Gardens and we have the pleasure of early morning walks to our university campus as we casually pass Kensington Palace. With this brings the added bonus of being a twenty-minute walk away from Hyde Park. For those of you not living in the vicinity, making your way to Winter Wonderland by way of either tube or bus is just as convenient. It’s just a matter of who spies the bright lights and familiar shapes of fairground rides first to navigate the route.

             This time, we approached Winter Wonderland by sneaking up on the Ferris wheel through the woods as it morphed from a tiny starburst into a massive sprawl of light as we became ever nearer to it. The night’s agenda had already been established in our flat beforehand: make a beeline for a crepe stall. A rich and sumptuous treat such as a Nutella crepe is only really excusable on such an occasion and I was more than willing to take advantage of that. However, my wandering eye did betray my poor beloved crepe once or twice, with other stalls offering me doughy pretzels, chocolate-covered strawberries, and even bratwursts, or sausages.

             Often, it felt as if we were swimming against the tide in a large and aggressive ocean. Everyone was on their own mission, whether it be to find the closest Christmas ornament stand or to listen to live music or to experience that first all-over body warming sip of mulled wine. My flatmate and I decided to break with tradition and grabbed a cup each of mulled cider. Let me just say, that was some potent stuff! Although it might have seemed harmless enough at the time and the preferred option to mulled wine, it definitely had a punch that knocked me enough so that finishing it would have had serious repercussions. 

The “before” photograph of tasting the mulled cider in its full glory, photo courtesy of Heidi Maunder

             Splayed out at Winter Wonderland is the United Kingdom’s largest ice rink, which is tastefully decorated with colorful fanned out lights draped in mid-air. While tickets must be purchased, skate rental is free. Also available for booking is the Magical Ice Kingdom, a tour around ice sculptures in fanciful designs, the Ferris wheel with various seating options inside the pod, Zippos Christmas Circus, and Zippos Cirque Berserk, which is a slightly more dangerous circus experience that involves less ball juggling and more knife throwing.

Photo courtesy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

             Not to mention, there are plenty of ride favorites that are sure to delight and also to terrify. We settled for the haunted mansion ride, which elicited some probably irrational screaming on my part. However, little did I know that I would exit the ride being able to say that Freddy Krueger had caressed my hair, but I guess that’s one to cross off the bucket list. There are various token booths situated around Winter Wonderland, which can be used for access to children’s rides and general rides. For those wishing to keep their hair free of Krueger’s claws, roller coasters, a fun house, a drop tower, and suspended swings are more viable options.

Preparing to embark on the haunted mansion ride, photo courtesy of Heidi Maunder

             If there were any excuse to get some last minute Christmas shopping done, it would be at a Christmas market. Although, you might find yourself, like I did, perusing and trying on furry Cossack hats that you know none of your relatives would ever wear. You, on the other hand, might just find use for one…along with an assortment of gemstone jewelry, a few beeswax candles, and definitely some more Christmas decorations. Maybe just push yourself to the limit with one last crepe, but switch it up and go for the Kinder Chocolate or sugar and cinnamon variation.

             Sometimes, it can be easy to lose sight of the Christmas spirit and replace your festive self with a Scrooge-like character because you are swamped with schoolwork, mithered by something at work, or just plain stressed about Christmas shopping and card sending. If this is the case, I prescribe a high dose of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland until you feel better. Just don’t try the mulled cider, unless you’re feeling brave. It could potentially have the opposite effect.

             Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland is open from 10a.m. to 10p.m. every day until January 5th, excluding Christmas Day. Plan your visit here and experience a taste of Germany done in a flashy and all-out London way.

Photo courtesy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland