Over the past decade, the Fringe has become a glorious fairground for circuses from all over the world, bringing together different styles of acrobatics and showmanship. Afrique En Cirque from Cirque Kalabanté was supposed to be one of two circus shows highlighting Guinean talent this Festival, but as Circus Baobab inexplicably had their visas denied by the UK Government at the last minute, sadly Kalabanté are flying the country’s flag alone. 

This is a jaw-dropping, uplifting, gorgeous show, rich in music, performed by a tight, multi-talented troupe. At the helm is director Yamoussa Bangoura, a modern-day ringmaster who leads the ensemble with an endless array of his own talents, from cyr wheel to acro-balance base to playing kora (a West African 21-stringed gourd) to singing. Even more impressive is the knowledge that he built the circus school which the performers trained in from scratch (literally), as shown in the documentary Circus Without Borders (which is well worth a watch on YouTube).

Framed with scenes of Conakry life, from market bartering to night fishing, Afrique En Cirque does a brilliant job of weaving together circus tricks and tributes to Guinean culture. It more than holds its own on the Fringe’s global circus stage. 

This review was originally written in 2024 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique En Cirque will be performed at Gluttony from Saturday 08-Sunday 23 March, 2pm; main picture: Christine Hewitt.