Review: Flown - Udderbelly Festival, London ✭✭✭✭

Flown

Pirates of the Carabina

Udderbelly Festival – London

Review by Christina Benneworth

Thursday 6th June: Incredible fusion of contemporary circus, acrobatics, aerialists, musicians and elements of comedy created a mesmerising performance of Flown. Pirates of the Carabina are a new company of nine British, Irish, Finnish and American circus artists, riggers and musicians.

Such skills, precision and strength was shown within each individual and group performance – keeping the audience transfixed and at times gasping in suspense at the risks taken by performers, pushing the boundaries of danger and traditional circus.

It’s an odd start to the show, you enter the purple cow and are greeted with an eerie feeling, and you’re not too sure whether the people standing awkwardly on the stage are the actual performers or just people messing around. Well the people messing around are actually the performers and once each start their individual performance there is no longer any messing around.

There was a simply stunning performance from Laura Moy on the Chinese pole. Moy was beautifully accompanied by a talented musician Tia Kalmaru; who is a Welsh/Estonian multi-instrumentalist and performer. Kalmaru has a very distinctive and unique voice, an effortless dreamy tone, a voice that enhances the performances.

Many of the artists play instruments throughout the show in between their acts but you have to commend Tia Kalmaru and Thomas Podgoretsky as they are both amazing. With a show like this the music has to compliment the performance and this is what happens in Flown, perfect music.

It isn’t often that you get to see an ironing board flying or being used as a musical instrument or even a flying drummer and drum kit. Flown is a great show to have at the Udderbelly.

Four stars ✭✭✭✭

Listings Information
7th June – 22nd June – Udderbelly Festival, London