Given the standing ovation it received at its opening night performance, Afrique en Cirque is likely to become one of the favourites of the 2024 Adelaide Fringe season, bringing a fresh WOMADelaide-style energy to a familiar festival genre.

The show begins in darkness as performers emerge on stage, acting out the daily life and sounds of a fishing village in Guinea – the origin of the show’s creator and key star, Yamoussa Bangoura.

Bangoura – a highly skilled (and super-muscled) acrobat, beautiful singer, and player of the traditional kora stringed instrument – takes centre-stage, wielding the kora and flanked by a three-piece jazz-African fusion band.

As the show builds pace and energy, the acrobats hype up the crowd. Bangoura sings while playing intricate melodies in harmony with the band, whose timing punctuates the spectacular acrobatic routines.

Many physical sequences play out in just one hour, with the catchy music carried by a highly skilled jazz drummer and moulded with storytelling and theatre that transports the crowd into the world of West Africa, from marketplaces to construction sites.

With booming voices in their beautiful language, swagger and joyful performances, the troupe would be interesting enough to watch for an hour on stage without any circus at all. Yet when the show heats up, they have the crowd gasping, laughing and cheering.

All the acrobats are incredible athletes, each with a unique style.

Without giving too much away, there is one performer who will have you questioning the limits of the human body, with his hyper-mobility allowing him to perform contortions and stunts for which it surely isn’t designed.

It’s just a shame the crowd is seated for Afrique en Cirque; this show could have hundreds of people on their feet, dancing to the rhythms.

Afrique en Cirque is at The Flamingo in Gluttony until February 25.

Read more 2024 Adelaide Fringe coverage here on InReview.

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