Review: Show Pony

Berlin-based contemporary circus collective still hungry is made up of three women who are long-time friends and circus performers. Show Pony, their collaboration with Bryony Kimmings, is a circus piece like no other that explores what it means to be an older woman in a world that demands physical perfection and utter dedication. It is bold and funny; warm and touching, and an excellent way to start any Fringe day with its breakfast-friendly 10.35am start time. 

Lena Ries, Romy Seibt and Anke van Engleshoven were/are all internationally acclaimed in their respective specialities (contortion, ropes and aerial) and perform wonderful routines of these throughout the show. They explain how they perform them to an interested and enrapt audience but also cheekily let us know the great amount of skill that goes into it with Lena performing a contortion routine to a song that screams "you think you can do this… but you can’t!".

Weaved through these acts of wonder are deft observations of getting older and how older women can lose confidence. "I’ve followed all the rules but you just throw me out," screams Anke offstage to a Big Brother diary room style camera that is used throughout Show Pony. 

The trio also share stories about how they first got into the circus that weaves a tapestry of cold-war Germany and how women are sexualised on the circus stage in a way that men aren’t. It’s touching stuff and you can really see the strong relationship between these women, who care deeply for each other and their craft.

The show does lose its legs towards the end as it starts to lean more heavily on the trio’s acting skills but for the most part this does not matter in a show that fuses circus and memoir to create an hour of magic that has the audience on its feet by the end.