Review from: Big Kid Circus big top, Brent Cross Shopping Centre London; 4th April 2025, 19.30
Big Kid Circus, founded by Biliana and Kiril Kirilov, celebrates its 20th anniversary with Kingdom of Kong under the creative direction of Julia Kirilova. The very diverse family audience was some 500 strong, about half the big top’s capacity, for the evening show of the opening day at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The show equally has a diverse cast who hail, according to the website, from Brazil, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mexico.
Inside the big top, the traditional circus ring is replaced by a grassy clearing in a tropical jungle, overlooked by a huge lion. Drumming and dance introduce the narrator who clearly outlines the simple story that is returned to between acts: a tribal village is approached by two explorers, personable clowns who wish, they say, to take photographs but really want to steal the diamond that the tribe reveres. There is something of a cartoon stereotype to the premise, and – to the delight of the children – much use is made of call and response, including plenty of panto-style ‘It’s behind you’.
The first act sees two young girls, lying on trinkas, spin cloths on feet and hands. Thrills come in the second act, a Wheel of Death including a blindfolded walk on the outside of the cage (though no skipping). We are, however, not made sufficiently familiar with the anonymous hooded performers to get the full sweat on the palm of the hands that one has, for example, watching Bello and Annaliese Nock on the Wheel. A simple hula-hoop and dance act follows, then a free-standing ladder act with a smattering of juggling that, pending more practice, might best be omitted. A comic interlude follows, during which one has their shorts pulled down to the glee of the children, as the explorers try to reach the diamond that is hung well out of reach. It’s now time for King Kong to appear, introduced by a tribal dance. Kong, an impressive 30-foot-tall animatronic figure, scoops up a girl in one hand on which she displays her flexibility in several poses.
The final and best act in the first half is an African acrobatic act with fast tumbling, twisting flips over a human skipping rope, and human towers including the collapse of a three-high. Particularly sensational is the acrobat dropping from a handstand atop of a three-man tower to, thankfully, be caught by a lower acrobat rather than crashing into the ground.
The second half opens with a hair-hanging angel swinging around to defeat the baddies after which, inexplicably, comes a fun basket-ball themed acrobatic routine using a trampette to dunk the ball into the hoop. Party over, it’s time to take a volunteer for a quick change to a lion to join Tarzan and a tiger in a wild cat taming act. There really are only so many times you want to see a tiger being hit with a stick, albeit a human tiger hit with a foam pool noodle, and this is one of several sketches that could favourably be tightened up. Next up, from Cuba, are Edgar & Leysi, an attractive roller-skating duo on a circular plinth who spin around pleasingly, including a neck spin from a strap. After them, it’s into the air for a doubles strap act (nominally an Amazon with bow and arrow attacking a baddie). An undoubted highlight of the second half, if you can bear to look, is the alien contortionist who appears in the jungle and demonstrates his hypermobility and ease of shoulder dislocation in a succession of grotesque twists. The last act is a Globe of Death, the spherical cage having first one, then two, then three motorcyclists whizzing around inside in great control. The diamond having been retrieved from the Globe by the tribe – an inversion of the outcome that would likely have been presented several decades ago – it’s time for celebratory dancing and the close of the show.
With twenty-plus skilled performers, the themed setting and narrative, and a pumping soundtrack including Singleton’s Koumi Lengué and DJ Cut-Rite’s Free Ur Mind, the show delighted the families in the audience though some children were visibly flagging towards the end. The current run time is two hours plus a fifteen-minute interval. A little judicious editing of the comic sketches and a second half shortened by ten to fifteen minutes will make this is a show truly worthy of two decades of Big Kid Circus.
I’d like to include names and a few background details of some of the performers and, if the circus will kindly reply to my requests, will add them to the review.
