Review: Fuerza Bruta - AVEN at Roundhouse

Argentinian performance troupe Fuerza Bruta return to Camden's Roundhouse after a decade-long absence for the European premiere of their latest show, AVEN.

Immersive Rumours received complimentary tickets to this show and as such, are disclosing this information before our review. The producers have had no input in the below and all thoughts are our own.

Photo: Johan Persson

Fuerza Bruta, the Argentinian institution that has performed in upwards of 37 countries for more than 6 million people since its inception, has a long-running history with Roundhouse. Following a refurbishment to the iconic North London venue in 2006, their debut show (which at the time shared a name with the company but has since been renamed Wayra) re-opened the venue. At the time, it also held Roundhouse's record for fastest-selling performance. 2013 saw the show return for a month-long residency, where it continued to enjoy sold-out dates and strong word of mouth. It continued to tour internationally for years afterwards, but Fuerza Bruta knew a new show was on the horizon.

Following the pandemic, the company's plans for that new show saw them "abandon any note of darkness and strife" to instead "create the happiest show we have ever done” according to director Diqui James. This is the European premiere of AVEN, a high-energy show that bills itself as a "celebration of adventure and paradise".

Photo: Johan Persson

After a pre-show DJ set from BRESH's Luz Rodriguez, the immersive club-theatre experience begins with a huge inflatable globe zipping above the standing-room-only audience. Performers in pastel-coloured suits run across the surface as if their lives depend on it, causing it to rapidly spin on its axis. A water tank suspended in mid-air sees a woman slide and crash against the sides while their partner dangles below its glass floor, desperate to connect.

Later, a performer hangs from a crane in the centre of the room and is pulled through the air at breakneck speed to ear-piercing whistles and cheers from the crowd. The show's finale sees a life-sized inflatable whale glide over the audience as it oscillates back and forth within touching distance of the outstretched arms below. While every scene of the show is radically different from the last, those who have seen their previous work will notice there are some ideas that the Fuerza Bruta team found too tempting to not revisit. Wayra's most iconic scene, in which a man sprinting on a treadmill crashes through walls and is riddled with bullets, gets an update here that's far more optimistic and joyful.

Photo: Johan Persson

Those attending will be craning their necks throughout the show's 70-minute duration as performers fly overhead, constantly shifting their attention from one side of the venue to the other as the action unfolds all around them. Anyone who finds themselves in the centre of the Roundhouse crowd for the conclusion of the show will likely leave soaked as water violently sprays from the ceiling, and being covered in confetti is practically guaranteed for everyone in the room. By design, the audience is in the midst of the action and as much a part of the show as the 14-strong pack of performers above them.

For a lot of people, the closest comparison they'll have to a show like AVEN is Cirque du Soleil, with their annual Royal Albert Hall residencies. This however is an entirely different beast - from the pounding bass and gig-like atmosphere to the constantly shifting audience positions as set-pieces are wheeled out into the thick of the crowd, Fuerza Bruta's offering feels more like an over-the-top warehouse rave than a night at the theatre.

Performers suspended in the air in Fuerza Bruta - AVEN

Photo: Johan Persson

There's nothing subtle or understated in AVEN; every moment is about being as big and bold as possible, which comes as little surprise considering the company's name translates to 'brute force'. An exercise in maximalist joy, attending AVEN is to be swept up in an uplifting experience unlike anything else playing in London this summer.