Canada’s The 7 Fingers could be called the anti-Cirque du Soleil. Where Cirque go for elaborate costumes, bombastic music and spectacular staging, this youthful octet opts for a stripped-down format of jeans, pop and basic props. Give me the Fingers any time.
There are still similarities. Neither Cirque or this group can resist a pretentious narrative. The obliquely titled Sequence 8 is about how we are both connected and disconnected in the 21st century. Ignore this waffle, it may give you a headache.
One cannot, however, ignore the simply stupendous skills on display. Multiple somersaults off a slimline Russian bar, classic cigar box-juggling taken to gravity-defying extremes, a seesaw double act that will make you gasp and then gasp again. They are clearly incredibly well-drilled yet make it all look effortlessly casual. This is very much a family show but it also manages to be both cool and sexy, totally owning the space where acrobatics meets dance.
The stand-out moments are so striking one can excuse the dodgy dialogue and their attempts at playful humour, which are nowhere near as irritating as the tedious clowning in Cirque du Soleil. This is a show that sets the benchmark for modern circus eye-poppingly high.
Until Oct 4 (0844 412 4300, sadlerswells.com)
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