BWW Reviews: Circus Flora's A CELTIC NIGHT CIRCUS - TIR NA NOG

Circus Flora tries something different by offering dinner with a show in their October presentation called: A Celtic Night Circus – Tir Na Nog. It's always a fun time seeing the circus performers do their thing, and combining it with a lovely dinner is a special treat. Although, the story this time around deals with love and adult themes, I brought my young son along and we both had a delightful time.

Tir Na Nog focuses out attention on a mystical island west of Ireland where the pursuit of pleasure is the only concern. While a myriad of acts perform various feats of daring-do, a story unfolds of love in its many guises. We follow the exploits of a prostitute, married couples (both content and less so), and of course, the single man on the prowl.

Adam Kuchler plays the single guy, and he also juggles hats, cigar boxes, and some silver balls on an elastic tether. Kuchler is quite talented and amusing as he appears throughout the performance. Cecil Mackinnon is our host, guiding the various acts while carrying the narrative thread. Members of Cirque Passion, Alexandre and Melinda Pavlata do some astounding rope and dance work, respectively. Shayna Swanson impresses with displays of aerial rope stunts, and Claire Wedemeyer has a playful relationship with a broom that gets out of control. The Valla-Bertini Family is especially good, working with a trapeze, a bevy of unicycles, and a slapstick take on the trampoline.

There's really no program for this event, so I can only congratulate Ivor David Balding and his production staff for putting together a splendid evening of food, frivolity and fund-raising. The event continues through 10/21/2012 in the parking lot of Chesterfield Mall.

Chris has been active in the local theatre scene for over 30 years. In addition to his acting work, he's also contributed as a director, writer and composer. Though, initially a film buff, he grew tired of the sanitized, PG-13 rated blockbusters that were being continually shoved down his throat by the studios. An opportunity to review theatre in St. Louis has grown exponentially with the sudden explosion of venues and talent in the region. He now finds himself obsessed with witnessing those precious, electric moments that can only happen live, on stage.

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