In Catwalk, costumes take center stage. As important as costumes were to the history of the circus, today they seem to have almost entirely disappeared. With this performance, Side-Show aims to reinterpret the history of the circus costume. On a long catwalk, with the audience seated on either side, costumes reminiscent of the ringmaster or a historical juggler parade past. One appearance on the catwalk follows another.

For this performance, we are revaluing the underestimated practice of the (circus) costume designer. More than that, the costume designer becomes the scriptwriter, with the costumes determining the storyline. What have we lost since we decided not to use extravagant costumes anymore? Can we still believe in the transformation of a circus artist into a character? If we digest history and translate it to today, what stories can we tell?

Contrary to the usual process, the costumes are created in the first phase, and the rest of the creation stems from those specific costumes. The costumes in Catwalk are retro-futuristic; they refer both to the past and the future. Perhaps the aversion to costumes is also tied to an overload of nostalgia that comes with them. We want to shake off that nostalgia, as well as the overly restrictive notions that circus and fashion have in common.

Using recycled textiles, paper, and plastic, new silhouettes emerge. These silhouettes will dictate the movement, not the other way around. A costume made entirely of spirals ensures that the acrobat wearing it can only move in spirals. The same catwalk takes on a completely different meaning with each costume that is presented on it. The spectacular lies not so much in the acrobatic feat but in the interplay between costume and movement; between the concrete and the imagined.

In this Catwalk, the backstage is also visible; the audience can follow the transformation from character to character up close and is therefore also prepared for what is to come. This makes the catwalk format not only accessible to as many audiences as possible, but also allows the magic of transformation—so often hidden away—to be experienced up close.

Catwalk as a relaxed performance. Like the other upcoming creations Permit, oh permit my soul to rebel (2023) and Today (2025), Catwalk (2027) will, in its own way, create a shared experience for people who may or may not find themselves in a situation of disability.