Cirque Alfonse have brought their show Barbu to the Southbank Centre this summer as part of their London Wonderground season

Cirque Alfonse have brought their show Barbu to the Southbank Centre this summer, as part of their London Wonderground season. Barbu is all about exploring a traditional Montreal circus in the 19th and 20th centuries and seeing what it has become today.

The essence of the circus has always remained the same, as it fulfils a need to witness things that are extraordinary and can be an escape from the realities of daily life. 

Walking into Southbank was impressive, as it is located next to the Thames and overlooks The London eye. We felt like we were on holiday with all the bright sunshine, live music and the smell of exotic foods sizzling on stalls.

The outdoor area was decorated with deckchairs and the trees were filled with Chinese lanterns in an array of different rainbow colours and it certainly felt like we were lost in a surreal wonderland. 

We went into the Spiegeltent, which was shaped like a circle and the audience had a terrific ringside view as the stage was shaped like a long catwalk. 

As soon as the show started, we understood the meaning behind the title of the show, as Barbu translates as bearded in French and all the male performers stuck to the theme, as they each had a huge amount of facial fuzz. 

The show was infused with humour and the four male acrobats were very impressive with each trick that they managed to perform flawlessly. They spun round while balancing in a hula hoop and climbed up poles and also jumped off in to the air before landing perfectly balanced on benches. Most impressively, they built a human tower by doing handstands on top of each other's shoulders. 

The bearded quartet started the show wearing casual shirts and trousers but as the evening progressed, they each stripped down to a small pair of tight underwear and there were even several quick glimpses of nudity, much to both the shock and delight of the audience. 

There were also female acrobats, who showed off their flexibility. One of the girls, called Genevieve, showed her strength by being flung in the air by the other acrobats and landing gracefully on her feet. She also took part in a magic trick, by sitting inside a box while it was chopped in half before bursting out of it unharmed.

Another character called The Mentalist wandered onto the stage occasionally, although he didn't take part in many of the acrobatics. He had a puppet on his shoulder which he made swallow a sword and the audience waited in anticipation for him to follow suit but he didn't. He also tried to sabotage the other performers' tricks but it was all just part of the comedy and he kept everyone laughing.

Throughout the show, an electro-trad band played traditional French tunes at the side of the stage, which made us feel like we had been transported to the French-speaking province of Quebec, especially when one of the members of the band whipped out an accordion.

There was an opportunity to buy a shot of Sambuca halfway through, along with a raffle ticket. We wanted to experience every moment of the evening and so bought the shot and waited nervously to see what the prize would be when they called the winning ticket. A feeling of relief passed through us when someone else won, but rather than being forced to take part in something embarrassing such as trying to juggle or balance on a tightrope, she instead had to throw custard pies at The Mentalist, who was trapped inside a red punch bag.

After the show, we left in high spirits and decided to explore Wonderground further. We went on the funfair rides and spotted the acrobats enjoying a pint of beer and chatting to guests outside, before they went back inside the tent for another late night show. Their stamina was enviable however, they will be used to such intensity as they have been performing together since they formed in Quebec in 2005. 

Although the evening was filled with fairgrounds and dare-devil acrobats, Barbu is most certainly aimed at adults only. 

Star-rating: ****

Barbu, London Wonderground, Southbank Centre, Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Road, Waterloo, SE1 8XX, until September 25, 7.30pm. Details: londonwonderground.co.uk

By Rachel Russell