Press Reviews

•  Der Höhepunkt der Show ist ein englisches Paar, das eine herzerweichende "Puppennummer" vorführt. "Bambolina" spielt mit beeindruckender Körperbeherrschung eine steife Aufziehpuppe mit noch störrischerem Willen, die ihren Puppenspieler "Dodo" verrückt macht. Allerdings haben die beiden neben lustigen Momenten auch besinnliche Augenblicke und schaffen es als einzige Artisten, alle Kinder mucksmäuschenstill zu kriegen: Des Nachts erwacht "Bambolina" zum Leben und klettert hoch auf eine Schaukel, um ihren schlafenden Spieler im Mondschein mit einem glitzernden Zauberpulver zu bestäuben. In dem Moment, als das funkelnde Pulver langsam rieselt, hätte man eine Stecknadel fallen hören können.  

   The highlight of the show is an English couple who presents a heart-rending "doll number". "Bambolina" plays with impressive body control a stiff puppet with a stubborn determination that makes her puppeteer "Dodo" crazy. However, besides the funny moments there are also contemplative moments, and they are the only artists to get all children quiet as a mouse: At night, "Bambolina" comes to life and climbs up on a trapeze in order to sprinkle her sleeping playmate in the moonlight with glittering magic dust.  At that moment, as the sparkling powder trickles down slowly, you could have heard a pin drop. (Frankfurter Neue Press, December 2012. GERMANY)

•     Une automate s'anime et prend vie sous les mains de son montreur, avec lequel démarre un drôle de pas de deux. Les mouvements saccadés de la jolie poupée font parfaitment illusion et transportant le public directement au fond d'un coffre à jouets à ciel ouvert. Un voyage dans l'univers tendre et loufoque au bon goût d'enfance du duo anglais Circle of Two. Entre le cinéma muet et le numéro de clown, Bambolina et Dodo offrent une parenthèse comique enchantée sur fond d'histoire d'amour entre le “maître” et sa créature. Le spectacle à peine achevé, on voudrait déjà donner un deuxième tour de clé à la poupée à remonter. (Dordogne Libre, August 2012. France)  

•     To describe Circle of Two as an acrobatic mime act would be selling them rather short. Here we saw a set-up character arriving on stage with a marionette style, human music box statue. The coquettish persona comes across, as she searches for love among members of the audience. This was classic imaginative mime, married with old revue style sophisticated cabaret.  (The Stage, June 2011. UK)  

•   The words 'charming' and 'poetic' best describe this highly original number which owes much to the ability of  both artistes to remain in character throughout and also to the use of attractive props and costumes. This was certainly a most appropriate item for a Christmas programme, with its echoes of the Pinocchio and Gepetto story and of the Nutcracker and Coppelia ballets... (The King Pole Magazine, March 2011, UK and IRELAND)  

•  "Mekanisk dukke" var Benneweis' topnummer:  Men så kom hele aftenens højdepunkt, Bambolina & Dodo, manden med sin mekaniske dukke, der dog var en kvinde af kød og blod. Et nummer i absolut verdensklasse.

  "Mechanical doll" was Benneweis' top act:  But then came the whole evening's climax, Bambolina & Dodo, the man with his mechanical doll who, however, was a woman of flesh and blood. A number of absolute world class.  (Hillerød Posten, March 2009, DENMARK)

•  Un attachant numéro de poupée acrobatique, racontant les amours improbables d'un montreur d'automate et de son «objet ». Totalement inscrit dans la poésie enfantine, ce récit est le pretexte à un numéro d'automate très réussi où le talent des artistes se nourrit merveilleusement de l'art mimique et de la comédie. Une fable qui déclenche les rires et l'émerveillement des petits et l'émotion des plus grands!

   An engaging acrobatic doll number, which describes the improbable love story of a doll maker and its' object '. Totally inscribed in children's poetry , this story is the pretext to a very accomplished 'automat' act, where the talent of the artists feeds wonderfully on the art of mime and the art of comedy. A tale that provokes the laughter and wonder of the little ones and the emotion of the grown-ups! (Magazine du Cirque et de l'Illusion, February 2009, FRANCE)

•   Keeping the whole per­formance fresh is the Circle of Two (Ralph Taylor and Celia Mendizabal), whose 'clockwork' Bambolina routine is an absolute delight. One little girl seated behind me was utterly entranced, asking "Mummy, is she just a doll?" as Celia just wouldn't stay upright.  It's been done before but Celia is immaculate in her role and really does stay statue still at all the right times.  The Circle of Two make a second appearance later in the show, this time going through an extremely graceful trapeze routine that sees some very difficult holds performed with almost disdainful ease as the couple work to the slow classical backing music. "Too good for a circus act" was just one comment that I heard as Ralph and Celia performed their equilibrium balance to close the act. (World's Fair, May 2006. UK)