Reviews

Fire Show

As if to compensate for cloud cover replacing patches of red sky, Inferno, a fire display show from Kinsale-based PassePartout Circus, lit up Elizabeth Fort, off Barrack Street, as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. Elizabeth Fort, built as a defensive fortification in the 17th century, has had various roles since, including that of a former garda barracks. But it could have been tailor-made for a show like Inferno.

The expansive space was well-used, with the three fire performers entertaining an audience of 300, most of whom sat on sheets of fabric. This free show started with a soundtrack suggesting the sea, with the squawks of seagulls adding to the crashing of the waves. A woman lit up barrels, creating swirls of smoke. Suddenly, there was percussive sound as the torches were used like drum sticks on the fire-emitting barrels.