Circus / Darryl Carrington
Darryl Carrington’s award-winning non-verbal family show to feature at Circus City 2025
The newly announced programme for Circus City 2025 responds to this year’s chosen theme: Bodies of Care.
Through an eclectic range of indoor and outdoor performances, circus artists from all over the world representing a vast combined skillset will be appearing in venues across Bristol to showcase their work.
There will be magic, juggling, trapeze, aerial and hand-to-hand acrobatics, fire, contortion, performance art, theatre, comedy and mime, all harnessed to explore ideas of health, wellbeing and social justice.
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The festival opens at Arnolfini on October 9 with the UK premiere of Arno Ferrera and Gilles Polet’s Armour, blending choreography with balance and acrobatics in an intimate examination of virility, masculinity, connection and love.
Other highlights of the three-week event include Gorilla Circus’s adrenaline-fuelled Revolutions Per Minute at Bristol Beacon, and Lost Dog’s multi-faceted outdoor circus horror, Fireside, which will be at Trinity Centre as well as Heart of BS13.
Taking place at Circomedia across Circus City’s middle weekend, Diana Salles’ DELUSIONAL – I Killed a Man was created in collaboration with Nofit State’s Firenza Guidi. Told through circus, it is the profound exploration of a trans woman’s journey to finding her authentic self.
Organisers are committed to making the biennial event as accessible as possible, and many of the performances include integrated or live audio description, or BSL interpreters. There are also a number of non-verbal shows featuring as part of Circus City.
Darryl J Carrington will be bringing his award-winning show Out of the Box to the 1532 Performing Arts Centre on October 27-28. Often to be seen at street performing events around the world, it is a show that deftly blends mime, comedy, clowning and circus in a show that is accessible and appropriate to all ages. He told Bristol24/7 how it came about.
Can you describe the origins of Out of the Box?
“Out of the Box is a combination of comedy, circus and creativity. I’ve been a circus performer for the last 20 years, and during that time have performed most disciplines, from flying trapeze to juggling.
“While I started my creative journey as a painter and sculptor, I also love tech, and worked at Apple for five years. So when I decided to create my first solo circus show, I found that the umbrella of ‘clown’ was a great place to house all of my interests and passions.
“I worked with Fraser Hooper on the show, who is a wonderful silent clown. Ultimately I wanted to create a show that I would be able to perform anywhere and that I really enjoyed doing, too.”
Darryl J Carrington with a young audience volunteer – photo: Kyle Bunby
How has the show evolved since then?
“The show is constantly evolving. I have a rule that every show I change or improve one thing, so it has become much slicker and funnier over time. But the main thing I do is listen to the audience: they are the teacher and they will let you know if an idea or routine is working or not.
“The more I perform the show, the more I realise that it’s really about comedy, laughter and bringing people together; the circus skills are just a way to open that door. It’s also a welcome surprise to me that all generations seem to enjoy it, from kids right through to their grandparents.”
Why did you decide to make the show non-verbal, and how does this impact the way in which you perform it?
“Herbie Treehead, a dear friend of mine encouraged me to work non-verbal at the Edinburgh Fringe one year. I had a magical show where I ended up having an improvised bull fight with an audience member, and I’ve not spoken on stage since. I wanted to create a show where everyone is welcome, and being non-verbal means that I can play in any country even if we don’t share a mother tongue. There is one language that is international, and that’s laughter.
“Working non-verbal also means that people have to come into your world. As a performer, if something unexpected happens you can’t just explain it away or stop it from happening like you might do if you spoke. So it allows magical moments to happen that are unique to that environment.”
Photo: Andre Pattenden
What excites you most when you go out in front of an audience who may not have seen your work before?
“I love seeing the dad with his arms folded when I first come out, rolling his eyes at his partner, and then on his feet cheering by the end of the show. Mainly, I just love performing the routines and being silly. It’s such a joyous job, I often catch myself wondering how this is my reality. I feel very lucky.
“I always try to put myself in front of as many different types of audience as possible, from standup gigs, to cabaret and burlesque, in theatres, town centres and international arts festivals. I’m most excited to see what I can learn about my craft with the audience in front of me. In Finland, for example, audiences don’t like making noises with their mouths but love applauding and clapping, so I make sure I tone down the bits they don’t enjoy but give them space to appreciate the show in a way that’s comfortable for them.”
As a circus performer, how important are festivals like Circus City in terms of raising the profile of what you do?
“Circus City is a such an amazing festival, and as an audience member it has introduced me to so many incredible and inspiring shows. It’s such an important event for the UK, too, as we get to see international work we wouldn’t normally get exposed to. It’s an honour to be booked alongside such an incredible lineup this year. It also opens doors in terms of international bookers; I’m doing more and more work in Europe and further afield and it’s all thanks to festivals like Circus City.”
Circus City 2025: Bodies of Care is at multiple venues on October 9-30. For information and tickets to individual shows as well as festival passes, visit www.bristolcircuscity.com.
Out of the Box is at 1532 Performing Arts Centre on October 27-28; times vary. To contact Darryl or find out more about upcoming performances of Out of the Box, visit www.darryljcarrington.com or follow Darryl J Carrington @darryljcarrington.
Main photo: Lee Pullen
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