LUMBERJACKS ARE SOOOO OK

Check out http://www.cirquealfonse.com.   Currently on at the South Bank Centre (which is in the midst of it's 'festival of neighbourhood'), it's a circus that only Quebec could produce.  A family (70 something grandfather and two year old grandchild both 'perform') production it celebrates music, dance (from clogs to ballet) a fascinating cornucopia of eccentricity.  Five minutes into the performance the audience not only enjoyed the performance, they cared about the performers.  There's only about nine performers, and at the start I thought they were each going to specialise in singing, dancing, juggling, axe throwing, acrobatics, but no, they each do everything and do it well.       They sing beautiful wistful songs, juggle axes, saws, (I admit I couldn't watch that bit),  balance on bits of wood, swing from the ceiling, perform visual comedy that is inspired and wonderfully eccentric.    This show, which is on a European tour, promotes Quebec's rather than Canada'a  culture.  Quebec culture is distinct from it's neighbouring provinces - quirky clever as the others are but this is completely over the cliff imagination.    The male performers (all with beards) are incredibly strong, but also incredible flexible. The girls strong, flexible and feisty hold their own. And the man at the end of the production is literally left holding the baby.     Think of the English rugby team being able to do any position in yoga or the splits and you've got an idea of what these guys are like.   Forget Monty Python, in Quebec, lumberjacks are definitely OK.