‘I Think It Could Work’, by Full Out Formula/Almanac Projects

by Anne Heinonen 5th August 2025
Link to view on Website

Review from: Zoo South Side, Edinburgh Festival Fringe; 2nd August 2025

Of all the show’s I saw in Edinburgh over three full days, this is the one that keeps coming back to my mind. Full Out Formula are a contemporary circus collective founded in 2023 by Sierra Rhoades Nicholls, Kevin Flanagan, and Liam Bradley. In this show, produced by Almanac Projects, their passion for collaborative storytelling has found a lovely way to blossom.

Audience is the master in this show, and the decisions we make for the trio create the path for the hour. How it works – and it does work – is that they give the members of the audience plain and simple options to choose from: do you prefer this, or that? Choose one, and it will affect their actions. 

The questions are plenty, there’s so many thing we can choose. The look is friendly and clear: which one would you choose of these two options? Adults and children alike know the right answer straight away. It’s the right one because there are no wrong ones, just decisions. (This also means no performance is the same, so all I write here may not be true of the next ones).

The show consists of partner acrobatics, juggling, handstands and, ummm, pretty weird object manipulation, which is captivating in it’s weirdness. The uniqueness of the show grows from its artists and their ability to create connection with the strangers in the audience. 

Maybe because of that, there is a strong taste of aliveness and creativity throughout the show. Things are happening because we all are here this moment, and because we collaborate and build something new together. It’s not all improvisation, and the performers know what they are doing; the options we are given are probably well thought beforehand. But we are still playing together, and that’s enchanting.

I think it could work is not fireworks from the beginning to the end – there’s no adrenaline rush from highly dangerous tricks – but there is connection, there are surprises, and there is food for your thoughts. Maybe for your soul too. 

I strongly believe circus should be able to tell stories even without using words. But the small spoken snippets the performers share of their lives make this show feel genuine and warm, and they also give hints of what’s going on in the deeper level of the show. The well-chosen words and stories bring the performers closer. Opening a bit of yourself to a stranger is always a warming act of trust – as are the couple acrobatics too, they just work on a different level.

The show flows forward very well and there’s plenty of laughter in the audience. Musical chairs are hilarious in both seriousness and un-seriousness, and the only thing that feels a bit too slow is the brainstorming with props in the beginning of the show. On the other hand, this gives us time to think what we ourselves would do with them. Where could I put this? What could I do with this? What could I do with you? Would it work?

To go back to the weird object manipulation, there are things done on stage that I have never seen on stage before, and that might not entirely be a good thing. But, had I more time in Edinburgh, I would risk it and see this show again.

I think it could work reminds us that there are many things one can choose in life, even though we might not think of them as decisions. Small things that might feel insignificant now might be the most important ones in life when you see them from a distance. 

In any case, I guess it’s pretty safe to say that choosing to go see this show will not be your worst decision of the day.