Carrousel des Moutons is about a weary dude who just wants to get some sleep, albeit on a grand piano that won’t keep still. The show’s brought to us by Belgian duo Dirk Van Boxelaere and Fien Van Herwegen and is about the most charming hour of circus ever. Ostensibly it’s for kids, but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you’re into circus and don’t go.
Boxelaere is a superb modern clown and Van Herwegen’s the perfect straight foil for his folly. A lot of the humour comes from some old-school slapstick, but our insomniac mate can juggle and balance with the best of them: you try a handstand on piano stool on top of an upended piano (that scene prompted a kid in the next row to say “I should go to sleep like that” – good luck to his folks).
Some of the funniest moments came from the world’s best bit of audience interaction. A little fella is called on stage, but overcome by excitement, he’s capable only of pissing himself laughing and repeating with glee “I’m on stage,” so he’s gently replaced with a super sharp and polite lass. She’s put to work sweeping and as a sheep – to say anymore would be to spoil something too delightful.
The whole piece has a dream-like, surreal quality befitting the bed-time theme, but try watching it and not feeling like you’re about to pop with glee.
BY MEG CRAWFORD
