Review: Circus Lates

Now it’s time for the adults to have fun! And what flipping fun we had indeed. 

The quirky and mesmerising Lost in Translation’s team, in collaboration with Norwich Theatre Royal’s Interlude 2021 season, have pitched their big top tent near Norwich Cathedral for their ‘Circus Cabaret Lates’ show, which promises a night of intrigue and wonder with their captivating line up of acts. 

For those not in the know, Circus Lates is a cheeky, irreverent, and unmissable show for a more mature audience, 16+, which presents a mixture of circus, modern burlesque, and comedy, featuring aerial stunts, contortionists, jugglers, and even a whip cracker throughout the show. The lineup of performers also changes every night, leaving an air of mystery that will have audience members coming back for more eye-catching and unbelievable performances. 

The night commenced with the stunning host, Abigail Collins, who warmed up the somewhat apprehensive crowd marvelously with her scandalous comedy and dry wit. She was flirty, fabulous, and the perfect way to kick off and break up the show between acts, filling audience members in on what they can expect to see next. 

Each act thereafter continued to stun the audience and almost every performance told a story in an entertaining and comedic way. The performers were at ease with their talent and are a testament to their craft, pushing their bodies and gravity to the limit in death-defying stunts and mind-boggling tricks which we wouldn’t recommend you trying to recreate at home!  

Particular standouts for me personally were drag queen Deja Da Bomb’s burlesque pole performance, which garnered a well-deserved barrage of applause at the end, and the whip cracker, who had us all wincing in our seats as he split acrobat Natasha Rushbrooke’s hand-held newspaper into tiny pieces. Director Massimiliano Rossetti and his partner Annabel Carberry were also an incredible closing act for the show- giving the audience all of the theatrics you expect from a Lost in Translation show. 

The night, in all, continuously had our jaws on the floor or grinning from ear to ear. If you’re itching to see a show that brings wickedly impressive performances that are a guaranteed good night out then this is the show for you!

Circus Lates runs in Norwich until the 30th of August, so be sure to grab your tickets now, which can be purchased here: https://norwichtheatre.org/whats-on/circus-cabaret-lates/