The Revel Puck Circus – the fresh face of British circus – is coming home to East London to present their brand new show The Wing Scuffle Spectacular – a celebration of fear. After selling out their first production The Big Bagaga Show, the company are back with an even bigger and a fresh show that celebrates fear in all its absurdity.
Embracing The Revel Puck artistic mission of redefining the circus’s place in culture, The Wing Scuffle Spectacular explores what circus ordinarily tries to hide. After a year of anxious uncertainty, The Revel Pucks believe it is time to celebrate fear, to laugh with it and to revel in it together. Without fear how can we learn or grow as people? Circus is the art form that teeters closest to the brink of danger, yet most companies mask the associated fear in their work. The Wing Scuffle Spectacular is a joyous, absurd flirtation with danger, rejoicing as we confront fear, and laugh in its face.
The Revel Puck company, renowned for their mockumentary Don’t Join The Circus, will be the only contemporary circus show in the UK to feature large-scale circus disciplines such as teeterboard, cloud swing and tightwire in a big-top this year. Amongst the performers are Fiona Thornhill who toured her solo Cyr Wheel act with Cirque Dreams in USA in 2019; multi-award-winning unicyclist and clown Sam Goodburn; aerial straps artist Imani Vital, cloud swing artist Annie Zita; the first teeterboard trio to come out of the National Centre for Circus Arts Seb Parker, Shane Hampden and Emily Lannigan; tightrope walker Poppy Plowman who is also currently working with Race Horse Company (petit mal, Super Sunday); and juggler Luke Hallgarten who has been working with renowned UK circus companies NoFit State Circus and Gandini Juggling, alongside creating and directing for the Revel Puck Circus.
Audiences will escape into this immersive universe, being led through the artists’ village of caravans, maybe catching a glimpse of the company preparing for the show, and perhaps even being offered a cup of tea. Food vendors equipped with candy floss and popcorn along with a well-stocked bar complete this escapist world.
Luke Hallgarten, Artistic Director of The Revel Puck Circus, says We’re back! After a year of cancelled tours and consistent isolation we cannot wait to offer east London a chance to come together for an evening of joy, laughter and wonder. Our DIY punk ethos has allowed the Revel Pucks to continue to push forward and create consistently ground-breaking circus. With a new, Covid-secure venue and a cast made up of homegrown east London talent, this new show represents everything we love about what we do and who we are.
Cllr Paul Douglas, Waltham Forest Lead Member for Culture, says We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming back the Revel Puck Circus to the borough. I really enjoyed seeing their successful show in 2019 as part of our year as London Borough of Culture. This summer in Waltham Forest is set to be spectacular, with an exciting cultural programme there will be something for everyone. It’s also really pleasing to hear they will work with young people on circus workshops in the lead up to the performances. I can’t wait to see it myself and hope to see lots of local people there too.
The Revel Puck Circus is supported by the Arts Council England and Footsbarn Theatre. The presentation of The Wing Scuffle Spectacular in Leyton is supported by Waltham Forest Council.
