Less Lies, More Intimacy

Intimate physical contact, touching trust and unexpected fragility are the keywords to describe circus performances of Red Pants by Felix&Philo Circus Company and Mentir lo mínimo by Alta Gama offered by contemporary circus and street art festival RE RIGA! this year. In the festival week of August 13-17, Red Pants offered a well-choreographed, pure joy of virtuous acrobatics in the heart of Vermanes’ garden, embraced by all kinds of audiences -  babies to elderly people, experienced circus goers to passers-by.

Meanwhile, Mentir lo mínimo was taking place in the Rīgas cirks arena, suggesting the age restriction of 6+, since it is a purely adult type of performance dealing with the complexity of self-acceptance, highlighted by the true presence of the performers and their nonstandard half-naked bodies riding a bicycle in the most peculiar ways. 

The festival's leading motive of 2024 “Minimal lies, thrilling actions and daring stunts” – and say no more – is present in both works of the mentioned artists, although in very different ways. One important aspect of commonality can be underlined: both circus companies are established by artists who have more in common than regular circus colleagues. Felix and Philo, as well as Amanda Gelgado and Alejo Gamboa from Alta Gama, are off-stage life partners. This is another level of intimacy that, without a doubt, influences what happens on stage.

We might argue that all stage professionals in Circus are used to intimate physical contact, however, it is evident that the physical contact of those in a romantic relationship embodies more vitality (meaning it is not always loving if they are arguing) and fewer lies. Both shows have the true-look-in-the-eye you rarely see in any theatre show where actors are trained to be organically ‘true’. Although you can tell the shows are well rehearsed, the possibility of improvisation is minimal, yet they are far from stiff and full of life. Life that does not fully go away once you step on stage. A life that is unfakeable and full of trust. And you can tell it in every breathtaking stunt of Red Pants – every high jump on teeterboard performed together, every daring catch of a flying partner – a deep trust is always there.

We can only imagine what it is like to pack all the props and personal stuff in one van and travel with your own show around Europe from country to country just like Felix&Philo Circus company does. They are multitasking: performers/lovers/travel buddies/technicians/drivers, able to manage simultaneously the personal and professional levels. And both aspects undoubtedly require hard work. Yet all you see is these two young performers, fit, full of life and energy, who even tie each other’s shoes and help each other to put on those red pants. Some say love is the engine of survival. If you don’t think so, you must see the show Red Pants.

Yet Alta Gama's show is shaped not only by the trust of the stage-slash-real-life partners but also by the audience's trust–first by welcoming every member of the audience in person, then by uncovering their personal stories and their intimate half-naked bodies, as well as ripping down the imaginative walls marked as white stripes on the stage floor on three levels, each time asking the chosen audience members to move forward, closer to the performers, gaining even more intimate views on their bodies and their bodily relationships.

Experiencing every drop of sweat, every mark on their skin, and every nuance of their facial expressions in a close-up excluding any possibility of lying. But do people even tend to lie when we ask someone to be so physically close to us? Can we lie when those asked to join our personal space are holding the bike on which we perform a stunt? All we seek is intimacy and connection. Things that so many of us lack in every day’s race. It is good that there, Circus exists for that: a possibility to stop and connect. The duo acts of Red Pants and Mentir lo mínimo performed on stage are somewhat crazy, daring and yet still fragile, just like our bodies are, just like our relationships are - intimate, sometimes painful - only if we choose to lie less to ourselves and each other.