The Ruckus
Popping up in the cultural heart of Walthamstow this Christmas, The Revel Puck Circus return with their seasonal Spiegeltent - home to the Winter Festival. This fun, family-friendly destination, where circus & storytelling collide, is home to a programme of exciting work for those of all ages to enjoy. The group's ethos is to reject the spectacular body and embrace the body that does spectacular things, which is clearly reflected in this piece. With actors able to take the stage as themselves without having to conform to typical criteria regarding physical presentation/ height/ looks, they showcase not only a wide variety of skills but of people. This seems to succinctly sum up the spirit of the Winter Festival as a whole, with diversity and inclusion at its heart.
As you enter the auditorium, you are met with smoke and haze, setting the scene just perfectly. The magic and illusion begins as soon as our hostess with the most-ess appears on stage, looking frazzled to say the least. It is then our job to help her prepare for a festive party, with the support of her closest friends - namely awesome acrobats, disco dancers, and genius gymnasts. Everyone has something to contribute, be it stunningly sequined outfits, dazzling decorations, or marvelous mocktails. This is done through their unique skills with DJ Cass’ moment in the spotlight proving particularly brilliant; especially as this also serves as a welcome break from the fun but frequent audience participation. This aspect teeters the line between entertaining and overwhelming, but settles in the former thanks to the colourful mirrored tent offering a soothing sensory experience. This, combined with the flexible seating options, meant everyone could independently choose an area that works best for them and have autonomy over how involved they may or mayn’t get.
Each segment is linked well to the plot, with short and snappy transition sequences to keep the variety of visitors engaged. Among these, however, were some dialogue heavy scenes where the energy seemed to dip. This may be due to Nancy’s lost voice (and props to the actor for carrying on regardless) but also as there was rarely a break for many of the cast and so these came out rather more breathless than bubbly.
There was very little set on which to comment, however the supporting materials used were a great demonstration of how to utilise all props available to your advantage. Given the size of the performance platform, these masters of muscle showed significant strength throughout the 2 act production - fitting internationally inspired flips and tricks into a fairly small space. This included creative choreography, polished well but with the tiniest timing discrepancies, and theatrical lip syncs which encouraged us all to join in with the bangers lining the soundtrack!
This really is art made accessible to all without specific focus on any additional accommodations. Whether visiting as a family or flying solo, it is an incredibly welcoming environment with a brilliant selection of facilities to boot.
This show was reviewed on the 23rd December 2024 at the Revel Puck's Winter Festival, Walthamstow, London where it runs until the 5th January 2025. Tickets available here: The Ruckus at Revel Puck's Winter Festival | Revel Puck Circus
Review written by Katie Anna McConnell
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Photo credit: Craig Sugden
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