Darirari may not have had sawdust, shimmer or roaring ringleaders, but it did have local charm and plenty of heart. Jo Caruana stilt walked over to find out more.

This year, for the first time ever, the circus came to Ta’ Qali, injecting life into the (significantly underused) open-air theatre at the national park.

But this wasn’t just any circus, you see – and it certainly wasn’t one of the animal circuses that we have become so used to seeing year on year. No, this circus was different because it strove to combine local vision and budding talent as the first-ever home-grown circus on the island. And with that ĊirkuMalta’s Darirari, part of the Malta Arts Festival, was born.

The setting was indisputably magical – everything a summer soiree of Mediterranean culture should be. The deconstructed ‘big top’ set the scene: strings and strings of bright lights laced above the audience in the shape of a traditional circus tent, leading towards the stage.

Those present – most of them families with young children – were clearly excited, and looking forward to an evening of clowns, acrobats and, perhaps, a formidable ringleader in a large top hat. And while the ringleader didn’t actually turn up, I can’t say he was missed.

All at once the performers flooded the stage, kick-starting the action. As the first edition of this circus, it was a mixed bag – several international artists were invited over to demonstrate their art, while numerous locals were also keen to dabble and develop their skills. Together they ran, skipped, danced and stilt walked around the stage, giving us a little hint of what was to come.

This opening may have been slightly lacklustre but it did pique our interest. And the first act – while not particularly polished – didn’t disappoint. Irishman Paddy Waters rode his bike around the ring and performed several tricks on it that left the audience wide-eyed. He later returned for a second act and this time juggled to perfection, managing to balance several balls while making us giggle at the same time.

Another highlight was doubtlessly Slava Popov, an exceptional performer who has previously worked with Cirque du Soleil. Both his rope and balancing acts had wow factor, while his sleek costume brought a more traditional shine to the overall feel of the show (thanks to a plethora of sequins).

The setting was indisputably magical – everything a summer soiree of Mediterranean culture should be

Meanwhile, some of the local acts showed they could hold their own among the international professionals. I was particularly bowled over by the perfectly-poised stilt walkers, led by stilt coordinator Joseph Barbara, who balanced beautifully and also had a sense of magic to them that wowed those present.

Alfred Mifsud, who could balance just about everything (and I mean everything) on his chin, and the Gymstars gymnastics troupe, also did very well.

On the other hand, I do feel that some of the comedy may have been lost on the non-Maltese-speaking members of the audience. One of the most endearing aspects of the circus is that, traditionally, it is crafted to transcend language and entertain you wherever in the world you may be from. In the local edition, however, the ‘clowns’, or comedy performers, used language almost throughout their acts, possibly alienating some of those present.

On the other hand, it was appropriate for the Maltese speakers – eliciting laughs from the funny rhymes and quick sketches that are usually reserved for pantomime performances or Bla Kondixin. In many ways it worked, but next year I would prefer to see something that reached out more to everyone present, especially given the increasingly international scope of the Malta Arts Festival.

Some other distinctly Maltese aspects worked very well, though. The typical carcade, complete with two bashed-up vehicles and plenty of noise, got the crowd clapping in time with the music and was visually strong thanks to the quick-footed moves of the daring young acrobats flinging themselves from bonnet to bonnet.

The festa celebration at the end of the show was also great fun, with fireworks and a booming banda that brought the circus to its climax. And as for my favourite part of all? That would have to be the simply stunning animations and background illustrations by Chris Scicluna and Moira Zahra.

So, all in all, there was a whole lot to love about Darirari. The show will doubtlessly be a great springboard for co-founders Chris Dingli and Sean Buhagiar to work from in the coming years, especially as more locals develop their performance skills and match the dizzying heights of some of their more experienced international counterparts.

I believe Malta should be very proud of this first circus step – a world away from sawdust rings and browbeaten tigers, we have set foot on the journey to craft yet another blossoming local cultural attraction on the road towards Valletta 2018.