Next Door Circus Magazine Next Door Circus Magazine No.1 | Page 8

KULDĪGA: THE TOWN THAT LOVES FRENCH CIRCUS?

That is the impression that the city has been giving for the last few years. Companies such as ‘Pipototal, ‘des
Quidams’ and others performing in town celebration days have become a tradition. This town of few thousand people in the western part of Latvia, mostly known by having the widest waterfall in Europe, invited the
incredibly beautiful show ‘Fiers à Cheval’ (‘Proud on a Horse’) by French company ‘Des Quidams’, which was
the element of culmination at the opening show.
There has even been a song composed by Latvian composer Valdis Zilvers especially for this event, with the
lyrics stating that ‘a French circus is performing in the town square’, that clearly showed – yes, Kuldīga does
love the circus! Moreover, in the context of all these events is the gravitation and balance master class by
French company ‘Du O des Branches’ and vert of ‘Compagniev Retouramont’ – that contemporary circus is
not only presented, but actually introduced here, giving a chance for young people to get to know it. This is
the key reason for the lack of such artists here in Latvia – almost nobody who could have a capacity of doing
it has the slightest idea what it is!
During these four days in July, inhabitants and guests of Kuldīga experienced street performance by Islandic
company ‘Hitt Husitt’, which was a rather joyful and colourful addition to the market being held in the same
street, than self-sufficient show, but as it was part of the towns celebration, it worked perfectly – it caused
the interaction with streets, buildings, shops etc., perhaps allowing locals to see their daily streets as something fresh. And this is what contemporary circus does: maybe it doesn’t shock with dangerous acrobatic
elements or overwhelming large scale of circus arena, but it does allow you to observe ‘the ordinary’ from
new angle.

By Māra Ganģe, theatre critic and student of theatre directing in Latvian Academy of Culture.

MagManus, ATTACHED
A circus show about holding on
and letting go
Photo by Alex Hinchcliff

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