They’re all super strong, incredibly agile and they all want to win, but who will be crowned acrobatic superstar of the Adnams Spiegeltent? Only the Norfolk and Norwich Festival audience can decide - when new show Le Coup storms into town on May 17-28. Creator Chelsea McGuffin explains.
Imagine Fight Club meets firebreathing, circus, magic, dance, tap dancing and live bluegrass tunes all wrapped up in the atmospheric air of the festival’s Adnams Spiegeltent.
Le Coup is a ferocious show of competitive aerial stunts, crazy acrobatics, the very best of circus skills and a serious amount of crazy challenges where cheers, ribbing and noisy support from the audience keeps the show rolling onwards and upwards.
Creator Chelsea McGuffin loves a Norfolk audience, so where better than the Norfolk and Norwich Festival for her first overseas adventure since the pandemic.
Born and based in Australia, Chelsea has a great fondness for Norfolk, having performed at several Norfolk and Norwich Festivals before.
“I love Norwich as a place to visit. We get a lovely welcome from Norwich and Norfolk and the festival always has a lovely vibe about it.
“Norfolk has a really strong circus community which is lovely to see. It’s always nice to come back and connect with that community. There is always a big coming together at the Edinburgh Festival but it is so nice to catch up with people in their home city,” she said.
Chelsea adds that it is particularly special for the show to be based at the Festival Gardens – Chapelfield Gardens renamed for the occasion.
“It is wonderful to be in the [Adnams] Spiegeltent, it has such a festival community feel, a very unique feel.
“There are a couple of Spiegeltents in Australia and I love them, they have such a beautiful history,” she said.
Chelsea grew up in Australia’s capital city, Canberra, and trained at the National Capital Ballet School before studying performing arts in Adelaide. She agrees Adelaide has an almost Norwich feel about it; beautiful with plenty to do and a joyful sense of vibrancy with a gentle relaxed sense too. It’s just about 20 degrees c warmer!
After Adelaide she trained in circus skills, incorporating dance technique, with a particular interest in tight wire work and her career continued with performing and creating art of circus works. Now predominantly creating, producing and directing, she will be front of house rather than on stage with Le Coup at the festival.
“I am really excited,” she said, looking forward to discovering how the Norfolk audiences will engage with the performers and seeing how much they will rally behind their favourite artist.
Le Coup thrives on an involved audience, taking its inspiration from the boxing tent shows which tour Australia.
“Boxing tents travel around with their own boxers and you can nominate yourself to go and fight. I went and had the best experience and I was just so thrilled by the people that were there, the showmanship, the diversity and the incredible atmosphere.
“You rally behind the person you believe in and you shout for them,” she explained.
“I wanted a show that gave that feeling, to feel immersed and part of the experience,” she said, adding that the live blue grass band musicians add an exciting dimension to Le Coup.
If you love choosing a favourite performer, aerial feats, acrobatics, dance, fire breathing, showmanship, competition and more than a frisson of raw energy with foot-stomping sounds, Le Coup is for you.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Chelsea said.
Le Coup runs May 17-28 at Adnams Spielgeltent, Norwich. For the full Norfolk and Norwich Festival programme from May 12-28 and tickets, visit nnfestival.org
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