Showdown’s UK Tour: Vicki Dela Amedume on Power and Identity

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“Showdown began, like many of our works, with a question – in this case, about fairness and power. I was really interested in how deeply we hold on to the idea that we exist in a meritocracy, especially in my industry – Circus. Our research with global majority artists revealed this sense that many of them had, the feeling that they were put into competition for jobs with people that looked like them rather than simply people with the same skills.”

With these words, Upswing Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume lays out the questions that shaped Showdown, a new circus-theatre production blending acrobatics, spoken word, original music, and audience participation. The show, which opened at the The Albany, Deptford May 1st, invites audiences to vote for which of six acrobats will become “the new face of circus,” adding a layer of competitive tension to each performance. While playful on the surface, the production explores serious issues beneath the spectacle, probing ideas about identity, ambition, and how much performers are asked to give of themselves to win.

Showdown is now out on an ambitious national tour, so what is Upswing bringing to a stage near you?

Examining Identity and Performance

“When you work with your body, identity is always present, whether it is acknowledged or not – race, gender, class, culture – it brings histories, expectations, and biases with it.” This recognition informs Showdown’s structure, where performers not only demonstrate technical skill but also navigate unspoken pressures of representation. In a context where audience members determine the winner, Dela Amedume notes, “What gets celebrated often reflects who’s doing the judging. When the goal is to win, it quietly pressures people to perform the version of themselves that’s most palatable – not the most true.”

The creative team’s decision to frame the show around competition was rooted in research with global majority artists, who reported feeling boxed into competing for limited roles or opportunities based on their backgrounds. The production’s voting system is intended to draw attention to how we reward certain traits or identities and how this shapes cultural spaces, including circus.

A Collaborative Approach

Dela Amedume describes her creative process as deeply collaborative: “My approach is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and rooted in physical storytelling. I make work that blends spectacle with substance – circus and theatre as tools to test if the ideas we have about the world we live in hold true under examination.” She emphasizes the importance of flexibility, noting, “You start with an idea, and then you listen. To your collaborators, to your cast, to the world around you. The result is something more exciting and layered than you could have imagined on your own.”

The making of Showdown involved working closely with the performers, who were selected for more than only technical prowess. “We looked for artists who weren’t just technically skilled but who could bring themselves to the work – their experiences, their perspectives, their personalities.”

Audience as Participant

The production’s interactive format makes the audience an essential part of the action. “It changes everything – and that’s intentional. For us, it’s a way of cracking open the fourth wall and saying: This is about you too. We’re creating a space for dialogue, not just display.” Dela Amedume’s framing suggests that the act of voting is not neutral; rather, it reveals assumptions and preferences that are often left unspoken.

This participatory element hopes to connect Showdown to broader questions about competition and recognition: What kinds of performers win our admiration, and why? How much does the audience’s own identity, experience, or bias play into what they see and reward?

The Evolving Language of Circus

Circus, once narrowly associated with spectacle and physical daring, has expanded as an art form. “Circus has this incredible immediacy. There’s a hunger right now for connection – emotional, visceral, embodied. Circus speaks directly to that. When used well, it can bring a kind of poetic risk that’s rare.” Dela Amedume also highlights how circus artists today draw on varied influences: “I love the freedom that has grown with circus makers to borrow, remix, and reinvent from a range of artistic practices to expand their core practice. I think there is something in the circus spirit that resists being pinned down.”

Story, Music, and Movement in Dialogue

Showdown’s visual and physical spectacle is underscored by a carefully crafted soundtrack, including Hip Hop, Grime, and Afrobeat. Dela Amedume explains, “It varies, but often it’s the thematic question. What are we trying to explore? From there, movement and story emerge in parallel. Music is a huge emotional driver, and movement gives shape to ideas, so the three constantly talk to each other during the process.” This cross-disciplinary layering reflects the company’s aim to provoke audiences on multiple sensory levels.

Balancing Entertainment and Provocation

While Showdown features humour, competition, and technical virtuosity, Dela Amedume makes clear that it is also intended to spark reflection. “I believe entertainment and social discourse aren’t opposites – we are all interested in having fun, we are all interested in talking about our experience of life. I like to bring those things together; for me they feed each other. Through movement, risk, and visual storytelling, I want to create space where people feel first – then think – and maybe leave seeing things a little differently.”

Showdown is part of Upswing’s broader mission to challenge how circus can be used to explore contemporary questions, particularly those around identity and power. While its playful format invites audiences to cheer and vote, Upswing and Dela Amedume are raising pointed questions about who we reward and why – a tension that runs through both the show and the broader cultural landscape.

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To book tickets or learn more about Showdown, click here.

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