The show, Babushkin Sekret, has a story thread through it, which attempts to highlight the historical context and significance of Russia’s circuses. It is based on the legend of the “12 Chairs”, which were seized from a rich family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution in the early 1900s as part of its Communist expropriation of possessions.
Valerik, the family’s grandson, is on a treasure hunt for his inheritance throughout the acts, which turns out to have been wisely invested into the circus.
Although the theme and brochure, which emphasise the prestige and heritage of the Moscow State Circus and its state circus schools, established in 1927, may be lost on many in the young audience, it’s a reminder of why the spectacular standard of acrobatics is now rather taken for granted.
The performances incorporate everything you might expect from inside a circus tent: red-nosed clowns performing magic and bringing unwitting audience members in to their acts, pole-perching and group club-juggling on revolving platforms with fire. A highlight of daredevil tactics is the high wire act, during which 16-year-old performer Kristina performs the splits from the heads of two male wire-walkers while 9m high in the air.
The costumes and make-up add a variety of glamour and exoticism to the acts, from the colourful outfits of the Rubtsov jesters to the floating silks of the bamboo climbers. The performers, collectively, come across as one big talented family. It’s a grand, traditional show which, most importantly, still leaves young onlookers’ mouths gaping in awe.
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