Inside the historic bright blue circus tent with white stars, rehearsals are underway right up to the last minute. Ahead of the premiere at Varieté Hablingbo in southern Gotland, there is tense anticipation in the air.
It's a little nervous, of course, admits Tilde Björfors, who for many years was the leader and public face of the pioneering Cirkus Cirkör.
Dancing on a high rope
After collaborations with major Swedish and international theatres, the longing to return to the roots of modern circus became too strong to resist. Thus was born “The Magician,” a performance that Tilde Björfors describes as a “dizzyingly poetic” all-rounder for the whole family.
Hopefully, it will make the audience's chests flutter. And the children who see the performance with their parents will perhaps see them in a new light, as adults with a childlike spirit still intact.
Acrobats who defy the laws of physics and swing on a trapeze several metres into the air towards the tent's dome, juggling, tightrope walking on a high wire and magic tricks are some of the things the audience will see. All accompanied by newly written music by composer Savannah Agger, who was involved in the start of Cirkus Cirkör.
Among the illusions is a book that stubbornly refuses to die. Its author throws the pages in the trash, but the crumpled pages take on a life of their own, rise up and fly out into the vast expanse of the circus tent.
Absurd humor and magic
With “The Magician,” the ensemble also hopes to convey a sense of hope and joy in a dark and troubled time. The performance includes a large dose of absurd comedy.
We need to laugh and see the small wonders around us, despite all the terrible things going on in the world, says Tilde Björfors.
The very essence of the circus is also about making the seemingly impossible possible, she points out.
"The magic is largely about managing to create something big together out of nothing. In this way, the artists create the magic together with the audience," says Tilde Björfors.
According to her philosophy, there are two paths to take, to perish or to resist. This applies as much to the circus - which according to Tilde Björfors is still a marginalized art form - as to culture and life in general.
We have chosen the latter path, to resist when the trend is to close down cultural venues.
Premieres July 7. Plays Tuesday–Saturday until July 31.
The venue is the circus tent in Hablingbo.
For many years, the circus tent hosted variety shows, which attracted many visitors during the summer. After a period of hiatus, Varieté Hablingbo is now reviving with "The Magician," directed by Tilde Björfors.
For the show, Tilde Björfors drew inspiration from Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno's thoughts on life as a cycle and his interest in magic. The latter led to Bruno being burned at the stake as a heretic in 1600.
The ensemble consists of both pioneers from the Nordic modern circus and artists from the younger generation.
Around 30 years ago, the new circus had its big breakthrough in the Nordic countries. Cirkus Cirkör, founded by Tilde Björfors, was a pioneering group. The group combined circus with theater, music, dance and art in an innovative way.
Tilde Björfors was the group's artistic director from 1995-2023.
Sources: Variety Hablingbo and others.
