A Godly Show: Circus Olympus Review

The Varsity Theatre held a production of the show “Circus Olympus,” which followed a group of performers as they retold various stories from Greek mythology in a new and funny way. I was excited by the premise alone, as a fan of Greek myths and was interested in how the circus aesthetic was going to affect the stories. And after watching the performance, I enjoyed the show even more than I expected.

Though I knew all the different myths that were being reenacted, the actors and actresses made it their own with humor and charm that gave the show overall a very bright personality. Even the interludes between myths were fun, from the performers deciding which characters they were to play to the lightning round of smaller myths that included more of the ensemble cast.

One of my favorite parts of the whole show was the costumes. No two outfits were the same, and were so full of color, with the reds and golds being very eye-catching. And each of these costumes had different styles to them, from the typical godly robes and togas to more darker and gothic dresses to almost pirate-looking outfits with striped shirts and vests, etc. This diversity of costumes made the show even more fun to watch.

Plus, knowing the trials and tribulations behind the scenes made it so much more satisfying to see the performance finish successfully. From one student catching food poisoning the week before opening, to another returning from a respiratory infection a day or two before to one student getting a concussion and performing through it, it’s almost a miracle that nothing appeared to go wrong throughout the show.

Overall, the SHS Varsity Theatre put on a smaller, but spectacular performance that was so fun and enjoyable, it left me wanting to see it again and again. I give it a 10/10.