Carnesky's Showwomxn Sideshow Spectacular - Review - Tickets left for today's shows!

This weekend the wonderfully original and hugely inventive group have taken over Elder Place off London Road (at the far end behind the World’s End pub) and are performing on the hour today until 6pm.

It’s a big old endeavour which includes a variety of hand-painted sideshow stages, an all-women wrestling match and a dizzying aerial show.

Billed as a “herstorical promenade experience”, show creator Marisa Carnesky, who presides over the many curious goings on, described it as “cross between performance art and circus”.

The superb women and non-binary performers hoped to “channel their she-decessors” in a celebration of “extraordinary her-stories”.

We were initially invited to take in the many curious side shows, which featured original feminist slogans – painted by Brighton pier muralist Dave Pop.

Highlights included an astonishing contortionist who made my back ache just watching her as she (somehow) span on her stomach with her feet in front of her face, and a hula hooper who, between on-stage crocheting, span a staggering number of hoops on her bod.

Elsewhere storytellers recounted the fantastic lives of Lulu Adams and Miss La La, legendary clown and circus performer, and human cannonball respectively. And at the slightly bonkers end of the spectrum a caped and masked performer danced with a giant woollen worm puppet.

After soaking up the parade of the weird and wonderful we were called back by Carnesky to witness a bruising bout of wrestling. A full-size ring had been set up under the shadow of New England House and we were packed in to see the action. The grappling was loud, physical and fantastically choreographed and the 11-year-old WWF fan in our party was suitably impressed.

Both professional wrestlers executed all the traditional moves, and more besides, with remarkable athleticism.

A final, rather fabulous, aerial display rounded off the show, and was all the better for the 360 degree audience who were able to get fairly close to proceedings rather than just gazing up at a stage.

The splendid routine also didn’t seem to be encumbered by any crash mats but that, fortunately, wasn’t a problem for the skilled performer as she (somehow) performed a mid-air splits high up in the Brighton sky.

There are still tickets left for today (Sunday May 26) so see it for yourself and soak up this excellent, contemporary take on circus.