The young, all-male international circus company Svalbard close this year’s London international mime festival with what could be a glimpse of the future. Only they’ve not quite got there yet. Inevitably, a show that earnestly embraces poetics and philosophy, and considers human behaviour, identity and the thin line between genius and complete clown, must risk walking a thin line itself. At its best, this evening has a strange, almost hallucinatory feel, but at times it lacks focus and just seems a bit of a mess.
Relationships are quicksilver – at times they are warm and supportive, and at others they can have a competitive, rutting element. There are lots of ideas here about the fluidity of self, gender and relationships, but they are not always fully realised in a performance that melds Chinese pole, rope, hand-to-hand and balancing acts with live music and enough homespun sound effects to suggest they may want to consider alternative careers as Foley artists. Despite the hints of gender-bending – touches of glitter, pink pants and a fur-coat strip – this still feels very male, as if they are merely playing.
The messy DIY aesthetic is appealing, but on occasion this show is so inward-looking you might think the quartet were doing it for each other, not us. It’s got a distinctive surreal edge, though these unpredictable montages don’t as yet feel fully directed or fully textured.
• At Jacksons Lane, London, until 6 February. Box office: 020-8341 4421.
