Gregarious

Sports is competition and hard work? This show is the opposite. In "Gregarious," two competitive acrobats face off in athletic (and absurd) contests, presenting slapstick of the highest order. All it takes is a skid board, Chinese pole, and '80s sports outfits. The Soon Circus Company brings two extraordinary circus artists to the Ruhrfestspiele: Swede Nilas Kronlid and Catalan Manel Rosés know each other from circus school in Stockholm. After various engagements in renowned companies, the two decided to put their friendship to the test on stage. "Gregarious" captures the perfectly coordinated partner acrobatics and the ingenious body tension of the two friends. With dry humor and childlike playfulness, they illuminate human abysses in sports, veering between competition and team spirit, rivalry and camaraderie. And even though the two jocks work up a sweat in the process, they primarily tickle the audience's funny bone. "Gregarious" is a charming, humorous, and energetic show for the whole family that reminds us how important it is to laugh at ourselves sometimes.