by Sarah Cope

Many shows market themselves as suitable for all ages, and The Insect Circus is no different, proclaiming in its promotional literature that it’s suitable for ages 0 -100. I took my three-year-old daughter along to see whether this was the case.

Trapeze acts – injected with burlesque humour (think cheesecake facial expressions) and remote control ladybirds both featured, as did cross-dressing (always massively confusing for small children!) and a bed of nails.

Some of the acrobatic feats were spectacularly impressive (who’d have thought it was possible to twirl 20 hula hoops at once?), and the one-liners from the compere, geared more to the adults in the audience than the children, meant the show hung together despite the disparate acts.

At one point the front row were covered in plastic sheeting by ‘nurse nursey’, which brought much suspense to proceedings. It turned out that her well-trained dust mites were having an off-day, and soon baby powder and tea were being spurted everywhere. If it sounds bizarre it’s because it was. I was reminded of the occasion when I was hit in the glasses by a Baby Belle cheese at a burlesque night – but that’s another story.

So was this rather odd and undeniably entertaining ‘circus’ suitable for all ages? Well, when three actors came out dressed as flies (we were told they were craving “love and infection”), and darted amongst the audience, some of the youngest children wailed in terror.

Perhaps if they raised the age rating to three years-plus they would be nearer the mark. But that’s a minor complaint about what is a spectacular and unique show.

The Insect Circus has finished touring for this year but will commence again in 2011. More details.