Review: EDINBURGH 2024: SAWDUST SYMPHONY, Zoo Southside

Three circus performers who could all easily pass as your local carpenter stand on stage amongst piles of wood. Machine, hammer, and glue are then pitted against each other in a race to build a chair, a playful prologue that introduces our three distinct characters and their chosen materials. Thus opens up an exploration of woodworking as silly as it is jaw-droppingly impressive.

The closest we get to a linear narrative is one man’s quest to hammer down a nail, yet each performer brings forth a distinct character journey. It is their genuine curiosity about the world they’ve created that makes this such a compelling performance to watch.

Scenes move between impressive machine manipulation, including creating a woodwork masterpiece right before our eyes, to a silly hammer-and-nail whack-a-mole game. All of this is undercut by a third performer crawling across the stage, dripping from head to toe in glue, under the sound of a synth and creepy whispered text. It’s intense, yet the playful tone of the show frames it as wonderfully absurd.

The action is all on top of a large raised stage that allows the performers to pop in and out from the floorboards, surprising us every single time. Nails peek through in puzzling and mysterious ways. The action underneath would probably be a show in itself.

Every time it looks like there’s been an error or a skilful readjustment, the performers turn it all around—every seeming fall is just a setup for a greater success. These three are masters of manipulation, and they have this show in the palm of their hands.

By the end, we are dancing in the sawdust in a magical under-the-moon moment. Tools are thrown in the air, and the circus skills of the performers are finally fully released. This is a mesmerising production that transforms the art of carpentry into a captivating spectacle, leaving both craftsmen and spectators in awe.

Sawdust Symphony is at Zoo Southside until 25 August

Photo Credit: Jona Harnischmacher

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