It’s been many years since companies like Casus, Circa and Gravity & Other Myths began bringing pared-down, intimate performances of strength and beauty to the Festival, replacing the big-top circus tradition. You’d think by now that the Fringe would have seen it all, and that coming up with small-scale circus that is genuinely original would be an impossible task. 

Enter then Brave Space, with its dream-like atmosphere and inventive ideas, one of which involves the audience helping to build the big top itself: a gossamer-thin silk structure under which we all crowd to watch most of the show. We’re also invited to take part in other ways, holding hula hoops for one performer, hoisting another to the top of the tent. And there are some heart-stopping moments, including Sarah Tapper’s balancing act, walking across giant metal poles held by the rest of the company. 

But the part of Brave Space that really stands out is the angle with which we are invited to view duo trapeze. ‘Pretend you’re stargazing,’ one cast member whispers, as we lie down and look up. Directly above us, feet away, Hayley Larson and Rachel Webbermen curl and contort into exquisite shapes. It’s beautiful, dizzying and unforgettable. The trouble is these innovative staging ideas can only be experienced by the able-bodied, and those who have no fear of intimacy with strangers or mobility problems. To see the show from a regular vantage point would miss its finest effects. It sets a divide between audience experiences and asks of us more than just bravery. 

Underbelly Circus Hub, until 27 August, 11am.