Afrique en Cirque quickly has become one of the hottest tickets this Fringe season — after seeing it, I can understand why. This is an exceptionally brilliant show. It features high energy routines that leave the audience gasping in wonder. The routines are slick and perfectly executed. Afrique en Cirque pushes boundaries in the gymnastics and circus tricks you might see in other shows. It is clear that this cast love what they do. Their smiles and their warm personalities just fill you with joy. Each member of this cast is faultless. Their energy seeps off the stage and just pulls the audience along as they cheer and clap. One routine that stands out above the rest is the contortionist. He is unlike anything I have ever seen before. It is almost like watching something out of the exorcist – without the horror aspect. The way he can manipulate to move his body is inhuman. His arms, legs and even his head rotate in all sorts of directions forming and creating shapes that leave you feeling rather uncomfortable but unable to look away at the wonder of it. The music accompaniment for Afrique en Cirque is performed live. Featuring four musicians, it brilliantly supports each routine, providing a wonderful musical landscape for the cast to work against. The incredible musicianship from these four musicians provide all the right accents and hits on flips and tricks. In some of the more quiet, tender moments of the show, they really draw the audience into what is happening on the centre stage. The only little niggle with Afrique en Cirque is not with the show, but the venue. Gluttony have done this show a real disfavour by putting it in a venue where the auditorium is rather below the stage. There are sections of the house that are uneven, meaning that a lot of the audio having to stand or move or strain their necks to be able to see some of the floor routines. Afrique en Cirque is just over an hour of sheer joy and delight. You are exhausted by the time you leave, but at the same time, you feel energised and refreshed from watching something so unique and brilliantly performed.