Peacock Theatre, London
September 3, 2025
The Copenhagen Collective is a newly formed international circus ensemble based in Denmark comprising sixteen acrobat/dancers from diverse countries and cultures. The Genesis, a rather appropriate title for their debut production, premiered in Copenhagen in July 2024.
The performance showcases some breathtaking acrobatics and dance, with creative stagecraft. Particularly noteworthy is that The Collective defy convention by having female bases and male flyers. Like so many contemporary circus groups, programme notes talk about redefining the art form. The Genesis does feel much more like redefining how movement, dance and acrobatics can fuse together in a new form, however. Not quite the same thing.
Photo David Poznic
The storytelling was powerful. The performers’ sense of fun and comic interludes delighted the audience. The acrobatics were indeed stunning, whether forming towers that reached up to the upper flies, or performing throws, flying, twists and twirls of unbelievable complexity. Even at less death-defying height, the visual effect was riveting.
While it was clear that the upmost care was being given to safety, and the performers were constantly in communication with each other, the whole effect appeared almost effortless, and strangely calming.
The direction and choreography, by Patrick King and Johan King Silverhult, was creative and inspiring, although there was quite a lot of running full-tilt around the stage, to what end in far from sure.
The lighting, by Stefan Goldbaum Tarabini, complimented the performers. While, at times, it did threaten to be too dark, clever use of spots meant that the action was always illuminated and we could always see what was going-on.
The costume designs by Julie Hendel, Louise Egebro, and Camilla Suleima were uniformly black, which seemed a shame as it gave no opportunity for colour patterns to be formed and reformed by the ever-changing configurations of the performers.
At an hour in length, The Genesis is just about right. It is enough time give everyone the chance to show-off their amazing skills and abilities without much repartition, and leave the audience wanting more. They may still be in their infancy, but Copenhagen Collective look like a company to watch; one with the creative potential and audacity to transform this niche corner of the dance world. They got a richly deserved standing ovation.