★★★

This show marks the start of The Summer Of Circus. The three months of contemporary circus events are an ambitious programming decision for the town.

While Worthing is now officially up-and-coming (certainly if property prices are anything to go by), the demographic is tricky and pleasing the intersection between Blue Rinse Retirees, Native Worthingites and Had A Family So Left Brighton is not easy.

Yet the first of two nights seemed to manage and despite being undersold boasted a diverse and thoroughly entertained audience.

The show itself tells the story of a dysfunctional family of misfits, a forgotten birthday and a chaotic effort to bake a banana cake. Each set piece involves some kind of altercation involving a banana, followed by impressive acrobatics and aerial sets.

Part of the magic – the exhilarating joy – of contemporary circus is watching superhuman feats performed with apparent ease and nonchalance.

However, the show was slow to get going, with the performers looking unsure or awkward. But things soon picked up, and the company really came into their own when they stopped worrying about bendy yellow fruits and actually started performing. In particular Annabel Carberry on the trapeze (actually a Zimmer frame suspended from the ceiling) and the physical comedy of Matthew Green were a joy to watch.

During a Q&A at the end, the performers said they didn’t want to be too rigorous or specific in the story they were telling. While that sounds interesting on paper, in reality it meant that a bit too much of the show was spent in confusion instead of enjoying the spectacle.

Despite all of that, there were a lot of laughs as well as some real "Ooh, aaah" moments as the performers threw each other through the air.

A great show for families and a good start to a promising festival of contemporary circus.