Circus / Reviews
Review: Jon Udry’s Variety Bungalow, Circomedia – ‘Fantastically fun’
What is the most fun you can have in a former church? A variety show compered by Jon Udry will take some beating.
The professional juggler began his Variety Bungalow shows online from his own one-storey residence during the pandemic but since then they have found homes in physical venues.
Circomedia hosted two nights of Variety Bungalow coinciding with Bristol Light Festival and it was the most fun I have had sat down all year.
They say that variety is the spice of life and it was on display here in a myriad of forms, fun following fun following fun.
Udry regularly defied the laws of gravity with his juggling – have you ever seen a performer juggling items that go up rather than down? – and was also a masterful compere and hype man.
Among the acts joining him on stage was Nicole Pearson who began her array of amazing artistry on a unicycle and ended up high in the air with her fellow performer, the magnificent Molly Whitehouse, a specialist in dazzlingly dizzy spins.
The dynamic Jamie Double will be well known to anyone who has seen circus in Bristol and here they were both a strongman and an acrobat, as well as helping Udry by lying on a bed of nails, and transforming from a firefighter to a flamenco dancer.
And then there was Oola Pearl and her own brand of “sophisticated silliness” which saw her embody Elvis and a gap year backpacker with tassels in all the right places.
Don’t drop the ball (or club or hoop). Keep your eyes on Circomedia’s marketing material for when Jon Udry’s Variety Bungalow returns and be sure to book front row seats immediately for this fantastically fun evening of entertainment.
Main photo: Jon Udry
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