When you step into a big top – with the promise of the Invisible Circus waiting just the other side of the shadow curtain – you can’t help but have a frisson of excitement.

Such is the reputation this experimental circus troupe has built over the years; you can assume it’s going to be a far cry from Billy Smart’s up on the Downs.

The Invisible Circus conjures up worlds of fancy and mystery and dares you to step inside.

Their latest venture, Under the Dark Moon, is the final show after seven weeks of the Bristol Circus Festival.

Before you knew it the band struck up an eerie oompah rhythm (mercifully without the Germanic overtones) to set the tone and hush descended over the expectant crowd.

Oompah quickly zoomed into a slapstick Romanian gypsy sound – and Doug Francisco, the master of ceremonies, stepped out.

With Halloween heavy in the air, Francisco began to cast a story of twisted complexity introducing a bizarre set of characters that might have stepped out of a twisted Grimm Fairy tale.

As the evening progressed, among the setup of the props and apparatus, some of the story was lost and it wasn’t clear how the characters all related.

However, the costumes looked great and the acrobatics were amazing, featuring gymnastics over a giant cake, an aerial ribbon dance and a haunting flight under a giant umbrella of birds.

There were moments when the story seemed to drag and a risked killing the momentum.

But the incredible skill of loose-rope walking, the peril of plunging down a 25-foot pole, the strength of the trapeze and a scene-stealing rope finale rescued any hints of tiredness that perhaps betrayed the end of a long season.

This is not vintage Invisible Circus, but any chance to witness their unique world is worth pulling back the curtain to step into.

Review by Anthony Story

Under the Dark Moon is at Creative Common until Sunday. Visit www.creativecommon.co.uk/event/the-invisible-circus-presents-under-the-dark-moon for tickets and more information.