| Good evening, |
| and in this week's edition of 'Focus on the Arts', |
| Jane Hemmington is going to fill us in on what's in store for us at this year's Summer Festival. |
| Over to you, Jane. |
| Thank you, Geoffrey. |
| This year, the Summer Festival is the biggest we've ever seen, |
| so there should be something for everybody. |
| This is the third year they've run it and the timing's slightly different: |
| for the last couple of years it's been around the 5th to 17th, |
| but this year they wanted to allow everyone enough time to recover from the first of January celebrations |
| and they've put it at the end of the month. |
| The programme has sensational theatre, dance and also a large number of art exhibitions, |
| but the thing the Festival is most famous for is its great street music. |
| For today's report though, Geoffrey, I'm looking at some of the theatrical events that you might like to see; |
| in particular, at this year's theme - circuses. |
| I'm going to tell you about two circus performances, |
| but there are plenty of others in the programme. |
| I've chosen these because they represent distinct movements within circus performance. |
| The first is the Circus Romano from Italy. |
| As this is a travelling circus, |
| it follows a long tradition by performing in a marquee - |
| which is really like a canvas portable building, |
| usually put up in a green space or car park, |
| rather than in a theatre or stadium. |
| In spite of this, Circus Romano isn't at all like the traditional circuses I grew up with. |
| There are no animals - just very talented clowning and acrobatic routines. |
| The show has a lot of very funny moments, especially at the beginning, |
| but the best part is the music and lighting. |
| They're magical. |
| At forty-five dollars it's very expensive anyway - |
| it's really for adult tastes. |
| In fact, much of it would be wasted on children - |
| so I suggest you leave them at home. |
| The second circus performance is Circus Electrica at the Studio Theatre. |
| The purists are suggesting that this isn't a circus at all. |
| It's a showcase for skills in dance and magic, |
| rather than the usual ones you expect in a circus. |
| With only six performers it's a small production, which suits the venue well - |
| the Studio only seats about 200 people. |
| For my money, it's the aerial displays which are outstanding |
| as well as the magical tricks - |
| features which are missing from Circus Romano. |
| An interesting feature of the show is that the performers are so young - |
| the youngest is only 14. |
| But it's still well worth seeing: a good one for the whole family. |
| And finally, as it's summer, |
| you may wish to see some of the Festival performances that are being presented outdoors. |
| Like the famous Mekong Water Puppet Troupe, |
| performing in the City Gardens this week. |
| Now, water puppetry is amazing! |
| It's large puppets on long sticks, |
| controlled by puppeteers standing waist deep in the lake. |
| The puppets do comedy routines and there is some terrific formation dancing. |
| This is a fantastic show and the best moment comes at the end - |
| seeing the puppeteers. |
| When the troupe walks up out of the water, you get this amazing feeling. |
| It's really hard to believe that what you've been watching is lifeless wood and cloth. |
| As an adult, I had a great time, |
| but I did note that other older people in the audience weren't quite as taken with it as I was. |
| It's a must for young children though, |
| and that's the audience it's really aimed at. |
| Well, that's all I've time for today, |
| but I'll be back next week with more news of what's worth seeing and what it's best to miss. |