From the remote forests of Québec, three generations of the family circus troupe, Cirque
Alfonse, travel to London to present the UK premiere of Timber!
The UK premiere of a joyous, log-balancing, wood-chucking, axe-juggling spectacular from Quebec’s very own Cirque Alfonse. Blending circus with theatre, dance, and live traditional music , Timber! takes the audience on a wild ride of gravity-defying acrobatics and thrilling tricks with metal saws, axes and logs. Come and see a special preview of Timber! by Cirque Alfonse at Canada Day London on July 1st at 7PM on Main Stage bringing the Canadian outdoors into the theatre and stay tuned for a special discount to see the full show between July 10th - July 31st at Southbank Centre - Part of Festival of Neighbourhood exclusively for Canada Day International.
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VIDEO: Timber!
Cirque Alfonse is made up of three generations of one Québecois family – 66-year-old
Grandfather and amateur clown Alain Carabinier, his two children, Antoine, 32, and Julie, 29, who
are a trained circus acrobat and a trained dancer respectively, Julie’s partner Jonathan, 32, a
trained circus acrobat who has performed in Cirque Du Soleil’s Love, and their 2-year-old son,
Arthur. The family are supported by live musicians, two of whom are friends of the family who grew up in villages nearby. Cirque Alfonse are the latest in a long line of circus greats to emerge from
Quebec – joining Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize and les 7 doigts de la main on the world
stage. Members of Cirque Alfonse have worked with all of these world-renowned companies
The company hail from an area rich in roots music, call-and-response singing, fiddle and banjo
playing and traditional dance. The show is steeped in the folklore, traditions and aesthetic of
Québec’s lumberjack, logging and farming heritage. Music is at the heart of the show – with
traditional songs mixed with new numbers composed by violinist David Simard and David
Boulanger, of hit Québecois folk band La Bottine Souriante. The action is set in a lumber-camp,
where there is merriment and mischief on an outhouse and the company juggle and chop
vegetables at high speed for the family stew pot. Beards, muscles, checked lumberjack shirts and
long-johns abound, and staying true to their roots, the axes, saws and knives used in the show are
genuine and sharpened and the cast don’t wear steel toe-capped boots or any protection other
than gloves. Taking authenticity to new heights, when Cirque Alfonse rehearse in their unheated
Québecois barn, they saw wood as a warm-up to their rehearsals.
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/timber-74074
