Barely Methodical Troupe are an award-winning contemporary circus company.

Their mix of acrobatic skills and contemporary dance features hand balance, breakdance and a Cyr wheel (think huge hula hoop) – and it all makes for a dazzling show.

Louis Gift performs alongside international Cyr wheel aficionado Charlie Wheeller and Spain’s leading break dancer Elihu Vazquez. While the men were excellent, top Swedish acrobat and flyer Esmeralda Nikolajeff stole the show for me. With her fluid flips and gravity defying stunts, she appeared as graceful as a small bird, fluttering from the shoulders of one fellow performer to another, as if weightless.

Each scene must have been physically draining as the group carried each other’s’ body weight, balancing their heads and shoulders. It was only their obvious muscles and the glistening sweat on their bodies that truly belied how effortless they all made the routines look.

There’s not much in the way of dialogue nor plot, but neither are really needed. Esmeralda had the audience in a twist when she climbed over the front row seats and tied up a couple up with a large elastic band.

My favourite section, however, was that involving the Cyr wheel. Like the children in the audience, I left wanting to try it out for myself.

Sporadic bursts of applause and exclamations broke out regularly as people struggled to contain their awe. The soundtrack – sometimes jarring, often eerily beautiful – was the fifth star of the evening. Elvis Presley’s All Shook Up played among dance beats and striking string pieces. Twirls of smoke in the air added to the other-worldly atmosphere.

This child-friendly one-hour spectacle flew by. I would happily see it again. It was a daring treat for the eyes and ears.

NAOMI LANIGHAN 4/5