Review: Escalate

Two jugglers from the aptly named Throw Catch Collective and an on-stage musician (who, fair play, also excels at catching things) take centre stage in Escalate, a contemporary hour of circus that strips back the pageantry of juggling to spotlight its raw dynamism. Using hoops, clubs and balls, the three performers tightly choreograph impressive feats to live music: one trick involves a highly unlikely number of balls juggled in and around a gorgeous flamenco-style guitar performance; another, clubs that are rhythmically tapped and caught to create their own percussion; another, hoops that are caught in time to a live synth arrangement.

Most of the tricks span across the team, and the rhythms crafted by the trio’s chemistry feel as palpable as the juggling itself. It's a very beautiful spectacle; in their capable hands, dead air seems to turn thick and almost textural, as objects move through it in almost impossibly controlled directions and speed. The overall effect is perhaps more mesmeric than jaw-dropping, but one that is a magnetic ode to the innate musicality of juggling, and the potential of circus to span genre.