The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
For Lost in Translation's new offering blends Dickens with the daredevil - and comes up with a flipping classic.
The Norwich-based group gave their first performance of A Circus Carol at Norwich Playhouse on Wednesday.
Audiences attending forthcoming performances of the 70-minute acrobatic reworking of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas novel can expect to see aerial arts, balance work, clowning, juggling and character acting, as the show brings together theatre and circus to create a unique experience.
The show's producer, Antonino Giuffré, said the company wanted to create a show in keeping with the Christmas spirit but working in a new and unusual way to try and surprise audiences.
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
He said: "It is a Christmas classic turned completely on its head, reinvented with contemporary circus language and physical imagery.
"We're working on a classic that everyone knows, and we were not sure if people thought we were going too far off track, but to see people standing up in the audience already was just amazing."
The show, which is the Playhouse's first ever in-house Christmas production, runs until December 21 and offers an exciting alternative to the traditional Christmas pantomime.
Judy Foster, communications officer at Norwich Theatre Royal, said the "innovative" performances would appeal to "children who had outgrown pantomime, as well as adults looking for a Christmas night out".
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
Lost in Translation, which established its Oak Circus Centre on Norwich's Oak Street in 2016, came up with the idea for the show two years ago, and put together the first version of the performance in just four days.
Mr Giuffré said that, at this stage, the choreography was very much "rough around the edges".
Over the course of two years, the show developed into an eccentric blend of circus and theatre, eventually becoming a performance which would "leave you with your mouth open".
A Circus Carol is co-produced by Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich Playhouse and Lost in Translation Circus.
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
Tickets are available now, and cost from £12 to £15 with discounts for concessions, schools and groups.
Visit norwichplayhouse.co.uk
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
The Lost in Translation Circus team as they prepare for their production of A Circus Carol. From left, front row, Natasha Rushbrooke, Roisin Morris, and Matthew Green. Back, Sara Berni, Lawrence Swaddle, Massimiliano Rossetti, and Annabel Carberry. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)
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