Zippos' Christmas show at Winter Wonderland. I know what you're thinking. Christmas songs, Santa hats, snowballs, a giant Father Christmas...
Well, think again. Zippos did that last year, and magnificently - read my review here.
This year, the company has gifted us something completely different. Apart from a jazzed-up snatch of Jingle Bells during the slapstick tumbling routine of the Munoz Brothers, there's nothing Christmassy about Candyland. And yet, with its stage dressing of cakes, chocolate and other sweets, this colourful cabaret-style circus fits perfectly into the holiday season.
Zippos has brought Candyland to London fresh from its debut this autumn at the Roncalli Apollo Theatre in Dusseldorf, complete with original set, props and the husband and wife directing team of Ms Lina Veres and Mr Oleksandr Leshchenko, and with just a few tweaks for UK audiences, such as the familiar face of ringmaster Attila Endresz.
The European theatricality - such as a team of Ukrainian dancers in cake frocks - and an upbeat soundtrack of hot jazz and pop - with a smidgen of pumped up Carmen - gives the production a look and feel refreshingly different from any other big top show in the UK this year.
But it's not just the dressing that makes Candyland a winner. The compact 45 minute run time is full of world class acts that will thrill even seasoned circus watchers.
The opening cradle act by Argentina's Duo Plok (above) gets things off to a cracking start. In all my years of ringside reporting, I haven't seen this act before*. That in itself is a treat, when so many circuses field the same acts as one another, making it hard to tell shows apart.
The male half of the act stands, legs apart, high up on two poles. He takes the hands of his female partner, who is standing on his shoulders, then swings her between his legs, tossing her into a somersault and catching her by the ankles.
The physicality of the act is thrilling, and is perfectly complemented by the energetic music, costuming and facial expressions of the performers. They are actors, in character, as much as they are gymnasts, and their charisma draws us into the show.
Next up, the doll-like Nataliia Gurieva performs a superior aerial hoop routine while hand balancer Serhii Ivanov performs atop a podium decorated as a three-tier cake. The stands he performs on resemble candles on the cake, which adds to the cohesive look of the show.
In a similar way, an elegant low-wire routine by Anna Usakova (who was part of Zippos touring season this year) is augmented by ground-based dancers in flowing golden dresses that match hers.
A definite highlight is the juggling of Dmytro Bakhtin - a superb display of ball handling in itself, but lifted to new showbizzy heights by the novelty of him being dressed as Mozart, complete with onstage piano.
The programme is completed by aerial strap artist Daniel Lakner, the Tangier Troupe of Moroccan acrobats and the aforementioned Munoz Brothers. The latter put a neat twist on the old bucket of water gag by pretending to throw a chair into the audience - a real jump scare for those in the vicinity!
Mention must be made, though, of ringmaster Attila Endresz who adds comedy with a fresh twist on the wandering spotlight routine, ending it with the payoff of a spike through the seat of a descending swivel chair.
Endresz also leads the company in getting the audience to stand up and dance, complete with actions, which by that point, towards the end of a punchy show, everyone is more than willing to do.
It's a moment that brings real warmth and togetherness to a show that I would say is probably the best 45 minutes you'll spend in a big top this year.
Candyland runs three times a day at 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00 until January 5. For bookings, click here.
*Update: I've since learned that Duo Plok's act is also variously called 'Russian cradle' or 'aerial casting'. There's also a 'full' version of the act in which the flyer is tossed between two catchers on opposite sides of the ring. Zippos apparently had such an act a few years ago, and it's definitely one I hope returns to the UK at some point.
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