THEATRE*** The Moscow State Circus – Babushkins Sekret
Ocean Terminal Big Top
Based on the 1927 soviet tale of the twelve chairs the UK branch of the Moscow state circus returns to the Edinburgh Fringe.
The secret of the twelve chairs follows the plot that In Soviet Russia in 1927, a former member of nobility, Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov, works as a desk clerk, until his mother-in-law reveals on her deathbed that her family jewelry had been hidden from the Bolsheviks in one of the twelve chairs from the family’s dining room set. Those chairs, along with all other personal property, had been expropriated by the government after the Russian Revolution. Ippo becomes a treasure hunter, and this is where the transfer to physical circus theatre begins.
Using 12 quite stunning acts mostly of an Ariel kind, showcasing the circus’s talents in quite spectacular form. The lead character from the twelve chairs becomes one of the two circus clowns trying to find the hidden treasure. The plot idea works quite well provided you’re an adult and have a little knowledge about soviet matters, however the children are mesmerized by the physical feats, clown comedy, excellent lighting with in the show. Unfortunately there was one poor woman in the audience who got whacked by a stray juggling club! These things happen in live circus.
The two hours soon zip by with the expected big finale, of the big two circus currently showing fringe productions this is the better of the two and well worth the money if you want an afternoon of sheer escapism.
