Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

Circus • Performance Art
SA Premiere
An unashamedly joyful mix of astounding stunts and enchanted adventure, 'Circus Abyssinia' is the magical journey of two little Ethiopian brothers (Bibi and Bichu) whose dream of joining the circus is made real by the Man in the Moon.
Plunged into a world of daredevil wonders, they encounter a host of other circus dreamers: dancing, contorting, gravity-defying figures, all weaving tales of their own.
Featuring the inimitable Konjowoch Troupe, the show is a surreal retelling of how the cast dreamed of the circus in a country without one and created a phenomenal new Ethiopian tradition.
'Sensational entertainment' ★★★★ - The Times. 'Pure circus gold' ★★★★ - The Scotsman. 'An incredible spectacle of circus' ★★★★★ - Broadway Baby.
Circus Abyssinia Cast:
Yohanns Mathewos Woilamo
Alemayehu Mulugeta Degenet
Etsegenet Ashenafi Laglago
Mikiyas Getachew Deneke
Daniel Gezahegn Werku
Ezera Nigusse Gebremariam
Betelhem Dejene Tola
Elshaday Shimels Gessesse
Msganaw Gebremaryam Temanu
Befekadu Esmael Awol
Miliyared Gebeyehu Assfaw
Helen Shimeles Merkebe
Yosef Bulo Damot
Lemlem Tsegaye Lebework
Semeret Getachew Bekana

Presented by: Bibi and Bichu

When they were little, Ethiopian brothers Bibi and Bichu dreamed of joining the circus. But no circuses ever rolled into town. With no circus tradition in Ethiopia, they chased their dreams in circus worlds overseas, moving to England at just 13 and 14 years old. Now world class jugglers, the brothers have met with more success than they ever dared hope for, performing in thousands of shows in dozens of countries, from Egypt to Japan.
For years Bibi and Bichu have been funding an Ethiopian circus school, where they discovered the Konjowoch Troupe: 12 incredible acrobats who started out like they did, honing their skills with no expectation of pay on city streets. Now they have teamed up to create Circus Abyssinia: a show that celebrates the birth of a phenomenal new Ethiopian tradition.

Audience Participation