Barbaroi
Barbaroi is set in a distant (or perhaps not too distant) time reminiscent of Mad Max, where staying alive means looking out for yourself at the expense of others. Barbaroi is also the Greek word for barbarian.
This world is populated by a troop of six performers (five male and one female). Their clothes and the dirt on their bodies signal their struggle to survive in this dystopian world.
There are so many skills featured in the fifty-five minutes we inhabit the world of the Barbaroi; extreme acrobatics, aerial rope, pipes or poles to swing from, climb on or bounce off, juggling rings, a big hoop over two metres in diameter, perspex panels to climb and an enormous vertical pole.
The ‘acts’ are interspersed with the storyline of a lone wanderer endeavouring to become one of the Barbaroi and are sometimes savage, sometimes funny, often electrifying. No words are uttered, just primitive sounds on which we can place our own meaning.
This production features some of the finest examples of aerial strap work I have seen, set to a grunge score and featuring an imaginative lighting plot. The performer’s extreme agility and grace is only matched by his strength.
There are many highlights in this extraordinarily ‘tight’ show – the juggler with his robotic helpers who manages to juggle using his hands, neck, ears, head and causes the rings to become almost hypnotic; the performer on the big hoop who rolls, spins, rolls and teeters the hoop with amazing speed and the perspex panel act, reminiscent of a prison escape that has the performer using the panels as pivot points and a tightrope while they are swaying visibly from side to side.
One act that stood out for me was the performer with straps attached to his arms and legs, becoming a sort of ‘bondage puppet’ to his masters. It seems to highlight the wanderer’s efforts to fit into his new world.
Barbaroi is a world where anything goes, however the overwhelming constant is talent. It may appear raw, but it is extremely well rehearsed, performed and has something for everyone!
Barry Hill
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