Sophie’s Surprise 29th, 4 Stars

Sophie’s Surprise 29th
Circus Hub, the Beauty
til 26th Aug

“Sophie is turning 29 and we’re celebrating. Imagine if The Spice Girls never broke up, Cirque du Soleil had sunstroke and No. 10 had actually known how to throw a party. This interactive circus and cabaret show is stumbling into Circus Hub with its Fringe debut, featuring world-leading performers from Cirque du Soleil, Britain’s Got Talent, Gogglebox and more. Expect Twilight fan fiction, unicycling drug dealers, and death defying feats. Put on your acid wash jeans and halter tops. Party starts at 9.45pm sharp, but remember – don’t tell Sophie.”

Review by Richard Lambert, 4 Stars

What a lot of fun can be had at a suprise party for Sophie. An audience member is selected and it’s her party!

With plenty of audience participation an interaction, this is the Spielgeltent circus variety show which has been themed and the performers are characters.

There’s the Goth on the Straps, a muscle Chav as base-man for acrobatic lifts, a gorgeously stunning girl on the aerial hoop (having transformed from a rather awkward nervous earlier character who gets rejected by the uni-cyclist), a balance act on space hoppers and a roller-skating duo who build to the neck-spin finale.

The acts may be familiar favourites but the party spin and the characterisations work really well.