Swashbuckling Circus is very much billed as a children’s show, but tell that to the three adults who accidentally bought tickets and sat behind me, cackling louder than all the kids combined. Honestly, that alone felt like a solid endorsement.

This is a cheeky, pirate-fuelled circus romp that leans hard into audience interaction, with performers hopping straight into the seating and dragging everyone along for the ride. At one point, a pirate parked herself near us, and my toddler took it upon herself to explain the entire premise of Bluey. The lady pirate expertly remained in character, making my toddler gawk in amazement and delight! 

There are plenty of silly stand-out moments. The horse impression is absurdly funny, and the drowning fiasco had me properly chuckling. One particular crab-related gag has clearly lodged itself deep in my child’s brain. She now confidently asks, “Who's scared of crabs?” every time a crab appears in a picture book. Just goes to show how impressive the performance is! 

Then there’s the finale… unexpectedly beautiful. A swirling, bubble-filled moment of elegance that feels almost poetic, completely juxtaposed against the boisterous chaos of the rest of the show. I almost had tears in my eyes. 

A joyful, high-energy circus adventure that delights kids, amuses the adults, and sends little ones home screaming “aye aye, captain” at full volume. An hour of absolute mayhem that I'd recommend again and again.