Gandini Juggling, Smashed Reprise, Peacock Theatre

Gandini Juggling has come a long way since 1992, when it was founded by Sean Gandini and his equally skilled wife Kati Ylä-Hokkala, with the high point of a varied, always surprising and increasing international career perhaps its central participation in Phelim McDermott extraordinary production of Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten for English National Opera; but let's not forget so many other works, which, over the past 30 years or so, have thrown new light on juggling and its relationship with the wider performance arts.

For all that, it would perhaps be fair to say that Smashed, conceived in 2010, has a special place in the hearts of Gandini Juggling's fans, and certainly in the affections of Culture Whisper, for whom it constituted an introduction to this exceptional company. No wonder it returns to the stage regularly; its next outing is at the Peacock Theatre this spring.

Over the years the piece has undergone a few changes; for guidance only, we re-publish below Culture Whisper's earlier review of Gandini Juggling's Smashed.

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Nine performers. 80 apples. Four tea sets. All starts sedately enough, with the nine filing onto the stage each juggling three apples to the strains of the 1940s popular song I Always Wanted to Waltz in Berlin, in an homage to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch.


Only the mischievous and slightly manic smile on the face of the stunningly elegant black-clad Kati Ylä-Hokkala gives any indication that things may be about to become a little more dangerous.

That and the almost rakish aura of performer/director Sean Gandini, all fitted grey suit, slicked back hair, pencil moustache... You instinctively know nothing this man does is going to be sedate for long.

The performance evolves into ever more complicated juggling. More apples. Two or more performers juggling together with such precision and well choreographed movement that at times it's impossible to tell whose hand threw that apple, and whose picked it up again. The skill is mind-boggling.

You laugh. You marvel. Your eyes grow big. Your inner child comes to the surface.

But not for long. Gandini seems keen to use his art to explore the kinks of human relationships.

Remember, apples are the forbidden fruit...

So, some sequences are disquieting. To the sound of Tammy Wynette's Stand by Your Man, the troupe's two women slowly crawl on all fours before the seven seated men, who juggle apples on their backs. You shudder, just a little.

It doesn't remain dark for long, though. In fact, one of the many strengths of this show is the skilful way in which is combines (you could say 'juggles') light and darkness, fun and thoughtfulness, movement and stillness.

The finale is a riotous affair, but no spoilers here. Go and see for yourself.

Gandini says,"our ambition was always to challenge perceptions about the nature of juggling, and we feel that is slowly happening."