Raw Acrobat is a work in progress

Australian troupe Acrobat abandons family-friendly fun to present an X-rated circus that's intent on provoking.

Three raw, moving solos replace stylised set pieces, while glitzy entertainers are forgone in favour of vulnerable and all-too-fallible performers. You can still expect skilful acrobatics, though without the polish. This creates a work in progress feel that is both a strength and a weakness. Wardrobe changes are conducted on stage, the set is rearranged while you wait and occasionally acrobats falter mid-air - all without apology. This is a strippeddown circus that exposes as much about its backstage workings as it does about the lives of the artists.

Each solo is awash with tension and black humour: one hints at the domesticity that binds a housewife as a Hoover sucks at her nipple, while a messy attempt at eating breakfast on a tightrope evokes the oft-overwhelming nature of daily routine. Among the three artists, Mozes (pictured) is particularly impressive - his cheesy grin subverts the emotional facades we all erect.

Using acrobatics as a vehicle to portray intimate stories of survival means that Smaller, Poorer, Cheaper is powerful and expressive. Yet despite the fun of trapeze tricks and stunts, this is too stark and aggressive to really involve the audience, and the result is a show that always keeps you at arm's length.

Circus Front Season: Acrobat: Smaller, Poorer, Cheaper
Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town, NW1 8EH