Never will a simple woven basket seem ordinary after seeing what Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam does with them – and bamboo poles.

Director Tuan Le explains in a programme note that À Ố is a contraction of Làng Phố, which means village and city. It is the differences inherent in these two lifestyles that he and his three co-Designers, Lighting Designer, Musical Director, Choreographer, two Troop Leaders, 15 Acrobats, five Musicians and a comprehensive technical and production crew explore and play with in this magical 75-minute show. (See full credits here.)

The first image suggests a human balancing on a somewhat wobbly blue planet: a reference, perhaps, to the big picture we’re about to see in microcosm.  

Life in a remote village is portrayed as joyful, interactive, rich and productive as the baskets, varying from huge to hand-held, are used as surfaces, containers, carapaces and swings; as the poles propel boats, create bridges, are tossed and flourished as traditional weapons … One becomes a tree a man shins up to pluck a piece of fruit he drops onto a woman’s knife. There’s a hint of gentle human romance, too – contrasting with what I take to be a lively monkey’s mating dance.

It takes a while to realise the melodic and percussive musical accompaniment is being played live, imbuing the dynamic, fluid and often surprising acrobatic action with mood, structure and meaning. Silence and stillness are employed as effectively as sound and action to keep us entranced.

Especially impressive, amid the abundance of energetic physicality, is a sequence involving a large swinging basket from which an acrobat leaps, dives or flips – only to be magically replaced by another.  

The move to the city sees a fracturing of community, as people – alone or in couples – are isolated in high-rise cubicles. One person’s traditional food preparation involves a banging that angers the wine-sipping couple one floor below.

There is plenty of fun here, too, but it tends to be more noisy, harsh and competitive. Traditional music gives way to beat-boxing; traditional dance to hip-hop. Cars and motor bikes – cleverly suggested – replace the boats.  

Whether the change is for the better or worse is left for each of us to decide. Meanwhile the fun everyone is having on stage is infectious – and it spills out into the auditorium, as two aging musicians play their traditional instruments, resigned to this thing called progress while maintaining their integrity.

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