NoFit State
July 20, 2025
Nimmo's Pier, Galway
All who go to this contemporary circus should be prepared for a weird and theatrical display of what the human mind and body can do.
On Sunday, July 20, 700 people were sitting side-by-side under the blue light of the circular Nimmo's Pier tent while waiting for Sabotage to begin.
The smell of popcorn was in the humid air come 5:30pm, and not an ounce of performance time was wasted by the NoFit State company. While people were still being seated, the different characters established themselves by throwing paper planes into the audience and asking: "Which hair should I wear?" while pointing to a Dolly-Parton-esque wig that probably could have done with a fresh blow-out.
When I spoke to the company director, Tom Rack, a couple of weeks ago, he told me that they "want the audience to leave feeling uplifted. Feeling kind of woken up, maybe shaken slightly, but with a spring in their steps and a twinkle in their eyes." Sometimes when artists are working so closely with the project and have a passion for their work, their descriptions can be thwarted, but Rack was spot-on with Sabotage's emotional pull. I did leave the tent feeling uplifted, woken up and with a twinkle, albeit slightly shaken up.
The weird but wonderful storyline was a little overwhelming, but still left me thinking. The acrobats and traditional circus performances were carefully planned, graceful theatrics. Skills that you know take time and determination to perfect, but are performed so well that they come across as easy. So much so that you feel like you could do them too. Every pretend trip and every stumble was carefully designed to enhance the overall performance and bring depth to the characters.
The musicians who doubled as performers should have had a whole show just to themselves. Their ability to be characters who were roller-skating announcers, gymnastic bar dancers, and ascending-from-the-roof singers to trumpeters, bassists, pianists and lead vocalists was, in a word, outstanding. The ease with which they switched between roles, even between instruments, is a testament to the production as a whole.
Sabotage has brought its thrill to GIAF 2025, and while the storyline might not always be clear, the contemporary circus has definitely made its mark in the festival's history.
Sabotage runs until July 27 at Nimmo's Pier. See www.giaf.ie
