Circa’s Human 2.0 – Southbank Centre, London

Artistic Director: Yaron Lifschitz

Circa call their new show Humans 2.0 but, really, it should be called Superhumans, so impressive is the tumbling talent on offer. But Humans 2.0 is more than just a showcase of circus skills. With a never-ending pulsating beat Circa’s tightly choreographed movement is more akin to modern dance. The heady mixture of genres ensures that this 70-minute piece is smart, sexy and mesmeric.

Surprising the audience with their entrance, the 10 performers settle gently into their routines. In a single line, they march around the circular stage as quickly as the second hand on a clock. They form staggering – literally – human pyramids seemingly swapping positions at whim. One female acrobat – Georgia Webb – does a back bend while two other performers balance on her stomach muscles. This first section is a display of strength, but a strength that is mercurial on its toes. The performers swoop and dive across the stage and each other.

There are touches of humour, too. One performer, open-armed to catch his partner, drops his hands at the crucial moment, leaving the other acrobat to crash onto the floor. Another section is like a human rodeo where acrobats try to shake off the performers standing on their shoulders. The supporting performer twitches and jiggles, but the one on top gamely keeps their position. Shorter than the others, Jon Bonaventura is passed from one acrobat to another like a mannequin in a shop window. His passive and weary expression is pure mime gold.

Keeping everything moving, is Ori Lichtik’s techno music, which never quite reaches a climax. The crescendos are always out of reach, meaning that the performers have no option but to continue moving to the beat. If the music sounds familiar, Lichtik also composed the music to Killer Pig, Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s seminal dance piece from 2009. So propulsive is the rhythm in Killer Pig that the curtain comes down before the music ends, and, here in Humans 2.0, Lichtik’s music, though varied, never stops.

Circa’s costumes also add drama to their show, especially the sheer, see-through co-ords worn in the show’s final segment. Here, their tumbling skills are at their best. It’s incredible that after an hour they still have the energy to somersault and flip across the stage so spectacularly. The trust that the performers have in each other is beautiful and you’ll wish that Humans 2.0, like Lichtik’s music, never ends.

Runs until 16 April 2023