Circus of Life by the Lightnin Drama Group
Having worked in Edinburgh for many years, you get used to seeing all sort of performances at the world largest arts festival.
What you always hope for is that show where you walk out and write: “You have got to see this!”
“Circus of Life” written and directed by Sue Ospreay and performed by the Lightnin Drama group was one of those plays. Any play, which in the span of less than an hour receives two spontaneous outbursts of applause and leaves its audience visibly moved has to have something special.
Indeed it was more than just the performance. You felt that this was a drama group that although have been in existence since 1980 are going places.
The central theme of the show is the bullying that afflicts Deb played by Vanessa Finn as she fights to find her place in a world where the death of her father hangs heavily on her psyche.
The basic metaphor is that life is a circus and all the acts within are roles we play in life.
From the very start as the “acts” enter the ring, the performance is tight and balanced. Clearly there has been a great deal of time spent on getting the minutiae of performance right.
Deb's bete noire is Bev played by Amie Habberley. She was a very convincing bully/gang ringleader. From when she uttered her first words of “eat dogs**t and die” you really felt you were in the presence of a very mean spirit indeed.
Fellow gang member Mary (Amy Elsley) was hilarious. She looked like something out of an old Bunty annual. Her attempt to stop a fight with the suggestion: “Let's Play Charades!” brought the house down.
Each scene was lit perfectly. The production was full of colour. The clowns as stage hands was a neat effect.
One of the standout scenes was at home when the many jobs of Debs mother played with wonderful weariness by Annie Elsley was illustrated by a series of boxes that she had to carry. She just about managed to carry ten but the final box with the words "school report" became the straw that broke.
The biggest laugh of the night came from the conversation between mum and her other daughter Michelle. There was a joke involving the words till and pill. It brought a rapturous round of applause.
The bullying becomes more intense. The torture she endures as Bev taunts her regarding the night her father died is very distressing. The climax is equally emotional. You could feel all the audience willing Deb to make the right decision.
After the warm applause dies down, the lights came up and you could see that the audience and rival companies were visibly moved, many to tears but what they had seen.
It was a privilege to see this performance. Professional, funny,warm-hearted, frightening, thought provoking and very well written. The DVD should be shown to every school.