Family circus company Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger has been presenting its brand of dazzling acrobatics since 1904. Now the seventh generation of the company makes its Scottish debut to give the UK premiere of its latest show Chouf Ouchouf at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, 12-13 April, and Macrobert, Stirling, 16-17 April.

Chouf Ouchouf, a collaboration with Swiss artists Martin Zimmermann and Dimitri de Perrot, weaves together contemporary performance and traditional Moroccan acrobatics to evoke the danger, joy and urgency of a Moroccan medina. It’s a snapshot of daily living in Tangier’s old quarter, with real issues of family and community, where it is ten to a house and 100 to the narrowest street. The 12-strong cast move through a set that floats apart and reassembles to represent the many faces of a bewildering and exciting landscape, taking in the old and the nearly new, in search of the city’s beating heart.

Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger is the latest incarnation of the Hammich family troupe. Dating back to1904, they were a regular fixture on the UK seaside circuit throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In 2004, practising their skills on the beach at Tangier, the company was spotted by Sanae El Kamouni-Lakmais and French director Aurelien Bory, who went on to direct the 2006 hit show, Taoub. Now members of the founding family perform in Chouf Ouchouf, displaying the authentic yet dazzling tricks of their forefathers and the inventive theatricality of Zimmermann and de Perrot.

Chouf Ouchouf is presented by creative producers Crying Out Loud, renowned for bringing memorable international companies to the UK.

Source: Crying Out Loud