Northern Ireland’s largest comedy and street festival returns to Belfast this weekend.
From April 29 to May 2, Festival of Fools 2022 offers four days of jam-packed, all-inclusive entertainment for the whole family at various locations across the city.
Belfast Live headed down to Circusful in the Cathedral Quarter to try our hand at some of the skills that will be shown off over the weekend.
Tina gave us a quick masterclass in both trapeze work and hula-hooping and despite her incredible skill making it seem effortless and graceful - it definitely was not as easy as it seemed.
Returning for the first time in three years due to the pandemic, Festival of Fools delivers its strongest programme yet, with the best local and international circus and street art talent taking over the Belfast streets.
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Highlights from this year’s festival, include some highly skilled aerial work in the form of Compañia Depáso, a duo from Italy and Chile who will be performing in Writers’ Square.
There’ll be mind-blowing juggling from Grant Goldie and Simon Llewellyn, award-winning clowning from Italian Matteo Galbusera, and PanGottic’s internationally renowned blend of inventions and circus will bring us a rickety contraption to fling balls in the air.
Sin City Sideshow will be throwing knives and Paul Currie will be throwing shapes in his new, specially created for FoF piece, Shtoom! .
Speaking to Belfast Live, Jenna Hall, Festival of Fools Chief Executive, said she is delighted to bring some laughter and joy back to the city after a difficult few years.
She said: "This is such a good opportunity for four days across the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast for free, family-friendly fun and ultimately, we have some brilliant talent, some great skill and some huge international circus and street theatre stars coming to Belfast.
"What Festival of Fools offers is a chance for them to come, show off their skills and celebrate circus, street theatre, art and performance in a way that we've not been able to do for three years."
Jenna continued: "We spent time during the closures building a new vision, mission and partnerships and are more able to talk about the value FoF brings to the city, to NI/ROI and to others.
"Our funders are responding really well to the developments. We trust our audiences will too. We are most definitely back."
Read more: Details of The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2022 announced
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