This is Brasil – The Show continues at the Pleasance Courtyard (The Grand) until 25 August.
Hands up for a party! This is a heady mix of music, football skills and the Brazilian art of Capoeira (a precise martial art where speed is only surpassed by balance) that has the audience on their feet with delight at the carnival atmosphere.
The favelas of Brazil provide the backdrop to this story: the people from the poorest parts of Brazil have the rhythm of drums in their blood and the art of football in their hearts. This show brings together all of these elements in a riot of light and sound in The Pleasance Grand – still one of the best huge spaces on the Fringe.
The soundscape incorporates ‘found’ percussion: shredded plastic bottles, bound together as shakers; strings of shells and nuts evoke the waves of the sea; bags of pebbles the shingle on the beach… All backed by an extraordinary eight-piece band, direct from the World Cup itself.
Magary Lord is known in Brazil as the Carnival King – he appears in a shiny, silver onesie, bringing us a blend of reggae, hip hop and that special something that is only found in Brazil. He’s matched by Paloma Gomes – a gorgeous, glittering songstress with an amazing vocal range. Both are framed by a trio of absolutely gorgeous female dancers – from lambada to hip hop, they have the moves to keep the audience clapping along.
The stars have to be the Capoeira team: amazing timing and precision in tumble after tumble leave the audience breathless. When we see these skills married to the footballer’s there is genuine admiration for their talent – especially in the freestyling battles.
The carnival finale, complete with showgirls, has the audience flooding onto the stage then joining in with the final conga out into the night. Joy – sheer joy!
Fiona Orr
* The World Festival
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/this-is-brasil-the-show
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