The Trash Test Dummies have become staple regulars at the Edinburgh Fringe and this season, they’re bringing their new circus show to the grand Lafayette tent at Underbelly’s Circus Hub.

The three male performers, travelling all the way from Australia to be at the festival this year, are quirky, junkyard clowns using coloured wheelie bins and everyday objects for their hour long show. It’s a production full of variety. Juggling, spinning basketballs and acrobatics are just some of the many skills the talented trio perform to an enthralled, packed audience of all ages.

The three performers, who use minimal speech throughout, have an anarchic edge which does make the show a little chaotic at times. A beautiful reveal of hundreds of brightly coloured, plastic balls into the audience is slightly marred by the constant throwing back of the balls by the excited children in the crowd throughout the rest of the piece. Although the cast deal with this admirably, it’s somewhat distracting and possibly too early in the show.

There is however no faulting the playful nature of the piece and the strong cast’s energetic and witty performances are peppered with original ideas and slapstick humour, ensuring that giggles erupt from the little ones in the audience for most of the show.

A worthy mention must also go to the team at Underbelly for allowing the show to go on with Storm Floris bellowing at the tent outside. When the team’s usual technical operator didn’t arrive due to the bad weather, a heroic standby stepped in to help the show go on.

Trash Test Dummies are certainly a good choice for a family show at the festival, offering clean, family fun but other children’s clowning and circus shows might just offer a little more.

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