Canadian Circus Stars Cirque Alfonse Bring TABARNAK To The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This August the inimitable Circus Alfonse invite Edinburgh Fringe audiences to gather together at the altar of circus, The Underbelly Circus Hub to celebrate tradition, heritage and community via an innovative fusion of circus and music as TABARNAK makes its UK Premiere.

Inspired by the village church that was once the gathering place of the small Quebec community where company members grew up, Cirque Alfonse have created their newest production, TABARNAK. A Quebecois expletive, which once formed a religious rebellious cry now acts as an invitation to audiences to come together in a contemporary circus congregation, to celebrate heaven, hell and everything in-between and have a rollicking good time!

As with previous acclaimed shows Timber and Barbu, music is fundamental to TABARNAK. A trio of frenetic electro-trad musicians led by David Simard perform live on stage alongside six incredibly talented acrobats who deliver the most demanding and daring acrobatic feats set to an explosive original soundtrack. TABARNAK embarks on an anarchic and poetic 'way of the cross' with a raucous circus rock musical. The stage is set as the organ takes a riff on the traditional and the acrobatics turn the church pews upside down, all in the infectious jubilant style offered up only by Cirque Alfonse.

From the basement to the nave, from the altar to the choir, from hallowed hand-vaulting to poi-delivered incense and of course, plenty of spectacular skating - join us and take sanctuary in circus this Fringe!

Photo Credit: Guillaume Morin