Circusstad Festival – spotlight on innovative circus
Roll up roll up! The circus is coming to Rotterdam! The Schouwburgplein and the city’s theatres will be transformed into a spectacle of fun and fantasy! But there’s more... this is circus theatre – an exuberant new fusion of dance, acrobatics, juggling, theatre and music. On 1 May circus tents will take over Schouwburgplein for five whole days. And audiences can thrill to the delights of the circus at the Rotterdamse Schouwburg and Luxor Theater, too. Now Rotterdam can revel in the best acts the international circus theatre world has to offer, and marvel at the skills of local performers during this fabulous new festival.
International top acts and home-grown talent
With a programme consisting almost entirely of premières, audiences will be treated to incredible acts never before seen on the Dutch stage. Companies hail from all corners of the world, including Morocco, France and Belgium. But Holland’s got talent too!. Students of the Codards Circus Arts programme, at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, artistes from Circus Rotjeknor and circus performers from all over Rotterdam can’t wait to strut their stuff and give the public a sneak preview of the next generation of big name acts. And if you’ve always dreamed of joining the circus, why not test your skills in one of the many workshops?
A taster
Although the full programme is not yet confirmed, we’re proud to announce that a number of international top acts have been signed. In ‘Chouf ouchouf’ Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger flaunts a daring mix of traditional Moroccan acrobatics and contemporary circus (Rotterdamse Schouwburg, 1 and 2 May). Belgian duo D’irque en Fien’s ‘ehet Carrousel des moutons’, a musical production starring an acrobatic piano, premieres in a marquee on Schouwburgplein (2 – 5 May). Much to our delight, the internationally acclaimed nine-member circus troupe La Famille Morallès will be performing for three days in the old Luxor Theater. A total spectacle awaits audiences (2 - 4 May). On a more poignant note, French circus company Le Boustrophédon presents ‘Court-Miracles’, about war and soldiers – and hope, too (Rotterdamse Schouwburg, 4 and 5 May).
