By a Thread review – soulful circus with a sprinkle of magic

Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
Emotional group dynamics and individual skills make One Fell Swoop stand out in the crowded circus genre

You cannot move at the Edinburgh fringe for circus shows. There are so many people in this city who can climb a rope, hang upside down, swing on a trapeze – so how do you make a show special when plenty of other folks are hawking the same skills?

Melbourne company One Fell Swoop Circus have worked out a way, sprinkling a bit of magic on their festival offering. It’s a show that was originally made a decade ago, but had its Edinburgh debut last year and was such a hit that they have brought it back. Like many of the best shows, it’s really just one good idea, with all the juice thoroughly squeezed out of it across the course of an hour. That idea being: one giant rope, two pulleys, seven bodies, and everything they can do together.

At Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, until 30 August. Then touring

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