What’s On: contemporary circus ‘A Simple Space’

A contemporary circus act that shuns the usual glitz and glamour to highlight pure acrobatic talent is coming to town.

A Simple Space is an immersive circus performance with acrobats pushing themselves to their physical limit, taking place at the Underbelly Festival on the South Bank.

The show will run from April 5 to May 5 and puts the audience up close to the action as the gymnasts flip, pirouette and jump around the stage.

Ashleigh Pearce, one of the acrobats from the show, said: “On a surface level, the shows we perform entail a world-class level of acrobatic skill, which to the general public would be perceived as very difficult to learn.

“We are proud to say we have curated a dynamic team of incredibly professional, creative and highly-dedicated artists.

“A Simple Space is a sneak peak into the training space.

The creators of A Simple Space grew up together so there is naturally an inherent level of healthy competition and playfulness that underpins their relationships.

“This sparked the concept for the structure of the show.

“A number of the games played in A Simple Space stem from games they played together at circus school when they were young.

“These joyful competitions, along with the honest human connection visible on stage, are the keys to A Simple Space.”

The show was created by Australian company Gravity and Other Myths, which developed the performance over the space of two weeks in 2013.

Ashleigh believes that closeness of the group and their hard work ethic is what allows them to perform to such a high standard

Ashleigh said: “Our nurtured style of tight teamwork effectively allows us to focus in, knuckle down and get the job done timely and thoroughly while also enjoying the process of it all.

“It is our desire to communicate to our audience the possibilities that can arise when you put together a team of people who commit to knowing and trusting each other.”

This is not the first time Gravity and Other Myths have performed on the South Bank, but Ashleigh said it was a privilege to be welcomed back to a place they have built a rapport with.

Ashleigh said: We are excited and curious about getting comfortable with our venue and the nature of such a fast-paced but fun festival.

“I’m also interested to explore and immerse ourselves within the scene of the festival.

“Within A Simple Space we strive to share with you a work that is simultaneously raw, frantic and delicate. We aim to evoke real responses in our audiences and bring them back to a place of play, discovery and good-natured competition.

“We hope to both stun and surprise the public with our acrobatic feats, stripped-back environment and fluid contrast of complexity explored in simplistic execution.”

For tickets, call the box office on 0333 344 4167