Chaplin Blood

I rarely get excited about new contemporary circus these days.

It seems everyone's either an aerialist or a clown (or both). They would then proceed to pool all  their resources together, rent a theater, put on a dark , brooding track, wear some decidedly non-traditional circus wardrobe and call themselves NEW CIRCUS.

It's almost becoming traditional to become NON traditional. For example, certain  shows are now called CIRQUE-ish shows and even Cirque Du Soleil gets bloated up in it's own Cirque-ishness.

That's why I get all giddy when I see that James Thierrree is producing new work.

James is the grandson of Charlie Chaplin and comes from a circus family in France.

I've heard good things about his work for the past decade but finally managed to catch a show in NYC 2-3 years ago.

It was this one:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBAL__X7lqYAt first glance, I thought this would be another Cirque knock off but after the first few minutes, I was hooked. This was accessible and not pretentious at all. Overall, it was Brilliant!! The physical work, the visual spectacle of it all, the really energetic and super amazing Japanese dancer...all of it

Jame's new solo show, Raoul,  opened at the Barbican in London this month.

A quick review of the show can be found here:

http://carouseloffantasies.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-raoul-barbican.html

A quick blurb for those that hate to click on links:

"Raoul is not a one man show. If it seems that way it is because its cast of hundreds happen to share a single body. James Thiérée is legion. There are times when each of his limbs seem controlled by a different consciousness: his arm slapping his astonished face whilst the other tears at it like a protective bystander. Elsewhere he genuinely seems to multiply – as if by mitosis – and shapeshift; his body morphs into all manner of animals, objects and even elemental states. To watch him is to be astounded by a fluid being unbounded by its own human limitations."

Now if only they would bring him to Hong Kong.Or maybe I should get off my ass and start writing a new show..