Overview

• Australian troupe Circa collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Singers, and conductor Edward Gardner to reinterpret Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé and La Valse at the Royal Festival Hall.
• The performance marked the launch of the Southbank Centre’s Multitudes festival, which aims to blend orchestral music with other art forms to attract broader audiences.
• Critics praised the acrobats’ breathtaking physicality and the orchestra’s precise execution but noted a lack of narrative cohesion, particularly in La Valse.
• Audience members were instructed not to clap during the performance to maintain the uninterrupted flow of music and acrobatics.
• The festival, continuing through May 3, reflects efforts to reimagine classical programming during a significant Ravel anniversary year.