Life has never been more in the balance than in Ockham’s Razor’s meticulously handcrafted double bill at the Underbelly Circus Hub.
Renowned around the world for their aerial productions using interesting pieces of equipment, this year, Ockham’s Razor has brought two very contrasting pieces to the Edinburgh Fringe.
The first, Arc, is a beautiful demonstration of love, intimacy and alienation. The piece is played out between three cast members atop of what appears to be a metal raft, suspended high above the stage.
Alex Harvey, Tina Koch and Charlotte Mooney work together to create some eerily picturesque visuals that can't help but make you feel slightly on edge. The playful nature of the three acrobats as they play a game of tag and jump around each other is marred by an idea that they are the last people remaining, literally clinging on for survival.
Every Action…, the company’s second act, is much more upbeat and humorous but still upholds the reliance on trust as experienced in the previous piece. Four cast members use twenty-five metres of suspended rope to create hilarious aerial clowning sketches that audience members of all ages will enjoy.
The comic timing is impeccable and, when mixed with the unbelievable core strength of every single cast member, the finesse of the action really takes your breath away.
This performance plays with the idea that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The cast utilises this theme to manipulate the apparatus between each other for comical effect. From one acrobat appearing to fall headlong into a large box to another getting suspended ten feet in the air, anything really does go in this physical, farcical performance.
Both pieces utilise the high stakes nature of aerial choreography, but never make you fear for the safety of the ensemble. Okham's Razor's cohesion as a company is remarkable and comes across extremely strongly in both acts.
The imagery and poetic nature of the movements in the first piece leave the spectator with a sense of intrigue and desperation to know more but the light relief of Every Action... brings the audience back into the room as gasps, laughter and cheers fill the arena.
Ockham's Razor has found a niche performance area and used that to its advantage in creating work that is both hair-raising and jaw dropping. This double bill is neither ropey nor flat and is sure to leave you high as a kite.