Bowled over by this circus

When I was invited to go to see Afrika! Afrika! my first reaction was "hell to the no". But then I thought again: my twins would be celebrating their 12th birthdays within the next few days, maybe they'd enjoy it? This, after all, is a music, dance and acrobatic extravaganza that has thrilled five million people across Europe.

So I accepted and off to North Greenwich and the O2 the family and I went. As we approached the multicoloured safari-looking van that was the box office and then were led towards the beautiful, "Africa-centrically" decorated exterior of the tent that houses this show, I began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The ushers, dressed in traditional North African attire, fez included, did nothing to slow this motion down.

I seriously began to suspect that maybe I was in for a kind of colonial-style freak show - Africa at the circus without the animals, maybe Africa as the circus. Perhaps a postmodern Venus the Hottentot might even appear?

Sure enough, when the lights came up and the cast of 50 or so bare-chested men and scantily dressed women ran out dancing to what I must say was the most magnificent African music, I thought: "It's Ipi Tombe all over again." But how wrong I was.

The show quickly became one of the best presents I could ever have given my twins - a magical circus adventure, the kind of big top you dreamed of going to as a child.

In many respects Africa had very little to do with it - almost like a false door. Once that façade had been dismantled one simply marvelled at the extraordinary feats of acrobatics. With the advent of computer-generated imagery, I had long forgotten that the manipulation of the human body is by far the most fascinating thing to behold. It would be wrong to single out one of the Tanzanian high-wire acts, hip-hop numbers or any of the rest, but if you are not left speechless by the South African contortionist you have surely seen things that the rest of us have not. What a great night out.

Afrika! Afrika! is booking until 19 April (0872 984 0002). Kwame Kwei-Armah's Let There Be Love is at the Tricycle Theatre (020 7328 1000) until 16 February.

Afrika! Afrika!
The O2 - The Tented Palaces
Next To O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, SE10 0BB