Ockham’s Razor: Collaborator review – roll up for a real circus power couple

The Place, London
Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey deliver a mesmerising and intimate ode to their performing lives together

Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey fell in love 24 years ago when they were training for the circus. They swore they would never work together. “Circus couples are a pain in the arse,” Charlotte tells us on the mic at the start of the show, chatting like an old friend.

Inevitably they did end up working together, forming the company Ockham’s Razor, and making warm, insightful and gently joyful circus theatre shows full of humanity and connection. They stepped back from performing into directing after having a daughter. The pair were not quite ready to retire from the stage, however, and Collaborator is one last hurrah. It’s an ode to their performing lives together, from the hopeful anticipation of day one to the challenging days when nothing is in sync, demonstrated through simple but telling games, with props, ropes and some mesmerising pendulums that make waves of energy visible.