“Sickly Victorian Rat Circus” is one of the most inventive performances I have ever seen at KC Fringe Festival. Delivered with minimal costumes, essential props, and an overhead projector, the two performers merge circus acts with silent comedy into a delightfully entertaining show.
The premise of the show is that a couple of rats (presumably from the Victorian era given the title and implicit costumes) must flee their home to find a way to survive in the world. It’s not entirely clear why or where they must leave, but the imagery of an aerosol can and a simplistic kitchen backdrop suggests the threat of rodenticide. The narrative of the show is not always apparent, but it doesn’t really need to be given the circus acts and comedic bits which hold this performance together.
The cleverest aspect of the show is the use of shadow puppetry from the overhead projector. The performers interact with giant hands, flying birds, ensnaring walls, and changing backdrops while delivering impressive circus skills to a lively musical underscore. At times the overhead projector creates sightline issues and some of the bits needed more clarity and focus, but the show more than makes up in invention what it lacks in precision.
Overall, “Sickly Victorian Rat Circus” is an energetic, creative divertissement appropriate for Fringers of all ages.
