Category: Circus

Circus, Festivals

Melbourne Fringe 2016: MORTAL SINS

In search of seven sins

By Myron My

Contemporary circus company Vertical Insanity Circus are performing their first inter-state season as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Their show Mortal Sins used circus and contemporary dance to explore the seven deadly sins. Unfortunately, the performance, while sound in skill, needs more work in developing these themes and the show.

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Alex Charman and Persia Janzen possess a solid level of skill and technique with their show, completing some impressive acrobatics and a nice turn on the trapeze. However, there does not appear to be a story evident and any potential meaning that can be inferred is subsequently lost. Mortal Sins feels like we are simply watching people perform without purpose or intention. Similarly, the dance routine by a male performer, again talented in his own right, seems quite repetitive and lacks the passion that this dance requires.

The opening moments with the performers’ shadows being lit from behind a curtain goes for too long and requires larger pieces of fabric ,as there are numerous times where you can see their limbs and bodies coming out from the sides. I feel there needs to be more exploration with this work so that the themes that arise from the seven deadly sins are distinctively explored and conveyed on stage as it is quite difficult to determine where one sin ends and another one begins, if at all.

Falling 15 minutes short of its advertised 45 minutes, Mortal Sins is a good example of emerging circus artists but not a performance that felt ready to be put on stage.

Mortal Sins was performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival between 22 – 25 September.

Circus, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: SIRKUS CIRCUS

Variety is the spice of circus life

By Leeor Adar

Circus Oz is delivering some real treats as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year. The Melba Circus Hub in Collingwood is featuring some excellent local and international circus and cabaret artists.

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Dale Hutton’s Sirkus Circus was a delight for all ages, featuring impressive independent circus, cabaret and contemporary vaudeville. The Melba Circus Hub filled with thrill-seekers of varying ages as we spent over an hour with our mouths gaping at the death-defying and often funny performances.

New Zealand’s Blingling Bros hosted our night with a series of laugh-out-loud mishaps interspersed throughout the astonishing performances.

Jess Love was a fantastic opener, as she flung and strung, and energetically twisted her body through her hoop act. Love was a perfect way to start this line-up with her professionalism and charm. The audience was fired up and whooping with claps and gasps.

As a Dale Hutton show, Sirkus Circus was a big tribute to the jugglers. Karl Laczko gave us a LED light show with his clubs that respond to movement, and Hazel Bock was an astonishing and unique wonder with her foot-juggling act. If you’ve never seen a flapper juggling a table, you’d have been in for a treat!

The international star of the night and DOCH alumni, Tony Pezzo, delivered his famous five-ring-juggling act. With colourful clothing and a striking, energetic presence, Pezzo commanded our attention and closed the night on a buzzing high.

Do yourself a favour and head on down to the Melba Circus Hub and catch yourself one of these Circus Oz treats by October 2. Tickets are available from the Fringe website: https://melbournefringe.com.au

Circus, Performances, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: 4+4=4

Power, poignance and peril when you’re at the end of your rope

By Myron My

Presented by The Flying Xamels as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, 4 + 4 = 4 is a surrealist circus experience looking at four different lives, how they co-exist together and individually, and are finding their way around. Four circus artists with four ropes perform as individuals and as an ensemble as a poignant metaphor for trying to fit in with life and following the right path.

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There is much to take in and analyse in 4 + 4 = 4, as the way these themes are explored could take on different and personal meanings for everyone in the audience. Fortunately the cast are all too aware of this and ensure that the tricks we see on stage are performed in a meditative and dream-like state. When you consider the technical aspects to some of the tricks, being able to appear that calm actually requires great skill and confidence, which these artists possess to a high degree.

But it is not just the performers who keep us entertained or transfixed on stage. Included in the mix in the back right corner is an artist drawing on pieces of paper on an easel and a camel that is perched atop the performance space and dropping paper flowers down below. At numerous times, one of the circus performers jumps down from the railings and bounds head first through the artist’s drawing, destroying the creation and disappearing into the darkness. The drawings all seem quite pleasant with their cartoon -tyle presentation, but the images themselves evoke a feeling of manipulation and being overpowered. In one way, smashing through the drawing shows the quartet’s defiance at this and their efforts at remaining true to themselves and living their lives their own way.

Similarly, the action all taking place under the watchful gaze of the camel – representing focus, determination and travelling – is another symbolic example of the characters staying on task and on track while undertaking their own personal journeying.

4 + 4 = 4 is circus that makes you question the way you live your life, and consider your place in the world in relation to those around you. Some mesmerizing and captivating tricks – with a well-matched soundtrack and lighting design – ensure you’ll be contemplating this show for some time to come.

Venue: Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne
Season: until 25 September | Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm
Length: 60 minutes
Tickets: $28 Full | $23 Conc
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Circus, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: UNDERTONE

Musical interaction meets circus innovation

By Myron My

Produced by Black Carnation Productions, Undertone is a circus show that – while presenting some impressive tricks and laughs – also explores the relationship between the body and sound. With a live electronic score, it pushes the boundaries of what circus can be, creating a different show at every performance.

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There is a strong physical demand throughout Undertone, that the four performers make seem effortless as they jump through the air, climb on each other and fling their bodies across and under tables. Due to the concentration and focus of these tricks, the performers have also included a good dose of clowning throughout. Under the direction of Avan Whaite, this allows them to break the tension so the audience can breathe calmly, and for their personalities to come through and invite us to create a bond with them.

There are a few mishaps with certain tricks on the night I attended, and it seems at times that while the set-up is there, the follow-through isn’t always a success. However, what does work, and really takes my breath away is the work on the Chinese pole, which is used in various ways, with some acts I have not seen before in circus. Due to the design of the Melba Spiegeltent, you get to see the show from a more intimate viewpoint and acts like the balancing act on rolling tubes become extremely nail-biting, as you see just how near to the edge they roll.

Adding to the “danger” element of Undertone, the electronic soundtrack for the show created by musical director Zoltan Fesco uses live triggering from the performance itself for the audio delights we hear. In doing so, Fesco and the performers are constantly unaware of what could happen next and this unique soundscaping allows for numerous moments of surprise for the audience, the performers and the composer himself.

Undertone may not have the strongest individual acts, but it is one of the more innovative circus shows I’ve seen. With the growing number of circus coming through Melbourne, it’s always great to have your expectations of this art form challenged, and that is where Black Carnation Productions more than excel.

Venue: The Melba Spiegelent, 35 Johnston St, Collingwood, 3066
Season: Until 25 September | Sat – Sun 8.30pm, Sun 3:00pm
Length: 60 minutes
Tickets: $29 Full | $24 Conc | $22 Group 6+
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival 

Circus, Festivals, Kids Theatre

Melbourne Fringe 2016: BIG TOPS AND TINY TOTS

Dynamic and endearing school holiday entertainment

By Kim Edwards

Luth Wolfe can do magic. And I don’t just mean her nice slight-of-hand and neat balancing tricks – I mean, this woman can keep several dozen highly excited preschoolers and preps under her spell for nearly an hour. From the moment her energised and eager audience entered the drafty Emerald City performance space at the North Melbourne Meat Market performance venue, Wolfe made herself the centre of their attention with easy charm and cute banter. Only one small critic initially preferred to sit with mum in the seating behind while his peers made themselves at home on the stage, and even he changed his mind before long and also came to sit open-mouthed and engrossed at Wolfe’s feet.

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Big Tops and Tiny Tots is a slick, witty and well-constructed circus show aimed at kids aged 3 -6 that has been touring preschools and kindergartens before settling in for a 2016 Melbourne Fringe season. Wolfe talks to and with her young audience skillfully, making eye contact, getting down to their level, and keeping their attention constantly focused as she invites responses, reactions and interactions. Her chatting and clowning put the kids quickly at their ease: they were on side and laughing just with her initial play at trying to put on her hat. The performance delivers a well-balanced (pun intended) showcase of circus skills, including juggling, magic, comedy, unicycling, hula-hooping, mime and plate-spinning, and each act is nicely set up in showing the kids how to appreciate the trick, and escalating the skills demonstrated.

I also admired the subtle didactic elements Wolfe works in, explaining abilities, playing the fool to allow the kids to correct her, introducing boundaries and safety rules, and – particularly in a screen-time world – teaching the next generation of live-theatre patrons how to be an audience, all in fun and funny ways.

There is lots to love about this show: Wolfe is a talented performer and comedian, and her experience and enthusiasm are palpable. My one significant criticism – and I’m ambivalent about it – would be the flat-rate price. As a theatre-maker, I believe passionately in supporting artists and that kids’ performers often have to work even harder to engage their audience, but as a mum, I know no concession or discount makes it difficult for bigger families to enjoy such outings.

That said, Big Tops and Tiny Tots is a great little live show for the mere price of a movie ticket, your kids will love it, and they might even have the chance for a starring role as well.

Most importantly though, this was the critique of my esteemed reviewing colleague:

My favourite thing was the hula hoops. She also did funny things with her hat, and on a big wheel. She made me laugh! (Miss Four)

See?

Magic, I tell you.

 

VENUE: Emerald City – Meat Market

5 Blackwood St, Melbourne

DATES: September 17 – 18th  & 20 – 25th

TIME: 1.30pm

TICKETS: Visit melbournefringe.com.au

All tickets: $14.99

Image by Jayrow Photography

N. B. Bear in mind the venue is chilly, the coffee van isn’t open until after the show, and there was some fire-exit access concerns expressed about taking in prams, so arm yourselves with warm clothes, drink bottles, and other carry options for younger siblings.

 

Cabaret, Circus, Festivals

Melbourne Fringe 2016: NO FRILLS CABARET

All the talent and tension without the tinsel

By Joana Simmons

No Frills Cabaret is exactly as the title says. No marketing, no budget, no MC. It may have no frills but it is definitely full of extremely entertaining and skillful circus and comedy. It is an absolute joy from start to finish. Created and produced by Christopher Carlos and Matthew Casey and combining some of Australia’s best established and upcoming circus artists, this is one action-thrill-packed hour that proves how much talent there is on these fine shores.

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From the rowdy Rockstar opening, we are told we are in for a “cheap fun easy to watch highly skilled night of awesomeness” and the crowd whoops and cheers with excitement. Basically, each performer came on, nailed their act, and announced in their own candid and comedic way the next performer. The skill level and variety is jaw-dropping. Hula Hoops, foot-juggling, headstand-balancing, lira, contortion, trapeze, juggling and teeterboard: the list alone is exhaustive yet this energetic cast made it look so easy. The thing that knocked my socks off in this show is how each act had its own concept, well thought-out, clearly acted-out and amazingly executed. It helps us to connect to the tricks so much more when there’s a story behind it; like a fight between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, or a man who has been abducted and turned into a JuggleBot as an experiment.

Production wise, it is almost bang on. A boss soundtrack combined with simple and effective lighting puts this show on the top shelf. Although mostly performers weren’t mic’d, there was only one moment in the Jugglebot act where it was difficult to hear Jeff Young from where I was at the back. Special mention to the crew who made the scenes glide easily from one to the other, moving equipment on and offstage without it detracting from what else was going on. The costumes (obviously without frills but with many a sequin) tied everything together, being sexy where they needed to be without being cheap, and showing off the incredible physiques of the performers while adding to each character.

I want to highly commend all the artists for their authentic interactions with the audience, as this is one thing I find commonly lacking in circus. Each concept had clear characterisation, physicality and emotion, which is hard enough to do on its own let alone when you are balancing things on your feet or spinning through the air with your leg behind your head. Individual standouts were Malia’s babin’ badass opening Hula Hoop act, Chris Carlos’ head-balancing and Jobby and AJ’s teeterboard finale- (he did a move which is apparently called the Coca-cola; air time and applause levels were both high.)

Circus, like cabaret, is becoming more and more popular and sometimes runs the risk of being, dare I say it, showy, predictable and naff. This show is the complete opposite. There has been a lot of thought put into how to make us “wow” and cheer as much as we did, instead of relying on tricks alone. It is inspirational to see so many talented young people work so hard to put on such a slick show. For circus virgins to the most experienced viewers alike, this will get your heart racing and hands banging together. The season is limited, so say YES to No Frills.

No Frills Cabaret was performed from 16 – 18 Sep 8.30pm at The Melba Spiegletent for Melbourne Fringe Festival 2016

Cabaret, Circus, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: NOTORIOUS STRUMPET AND DANGEROUS GIRL

Addiction and art, sisterhood and circus

By Myron My

Greeted with offerings of tea and coffee, we are welcomed into our Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. We all have stories we want to share in this meeting (whether we know it or not), but before we begin, Jess Love has something she would like to share, and that is how performance piece Notorious Strumpet and Dangerous Girl begins.

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Throughout this deeply personal show, Love explores her struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, and the effects it has had on her personal life and the disconnect she feels with her family. With a Christmas family photo projected on the screen – one that does not include Love – she informs us that while she is a self-confessed queer carnie who drinks too much, the rest of her family are involved in the teaching profession and have also been Christian missionaries.

There is one family member that Love shares a bond with however: the “notorious strumpet and dangerous girl” herself, Love’s great, great, great, great grandmother Julia Mullins. Mullins was sent to Australia as a convict in 1826 for prostitution where she led a life of drunkenness, theft and other crimes. Despite the centuries between between them, there is a connection that Love feels with Mullins as they both deal with their addictions. One of the most striking visuals of the evening occurs when Love dresses up to resemble what Mullins might have worn back in her time, and presents a cheeky but touching homage to her distant relative.

The self-destructiveness of Love’s addictions are executed brilliantly in her ‘drunken’ circus performances. Her intoxication is highly convincing and the sense of danger is heightened during these routines, even when it is a standard hula hoop routine. The use of circus, performance and spoken word to share her stories and express her thoughts and feelings is well thought-out, with great pacing and momentum that never lags.

Love knows how to get the audience onside and even when the alcohol gets the better of her character and her behavior turns chaotic and crass, it is done in a way where we want to reach out and help her. The final moments of Notorious Strumpet and Dangerous Girl offers hope and calm for Love, and for anyone who may be experiencing difficulties in their life. While Love’s life has not always been pretty, she has managed to create something beautiful and meaningful with this show.

Venue: Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne
Season: until 2 October | Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm
Length: 50 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc / Cheap Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Circus, Opera, Whats On

Victorian Opera and Circus Oz Presents LAUGHTER AND TEARS

Brave ascent into arias and airy new ground

By Leeor Adar

It is a wonderful idea in theory to create an amalgamation of opera and circus in production. Both disciplines embody the drama of the human condition, whether through the astonishing highs of an operatic voice to the deep dive taken by the circus performer.

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Victorian Opera and the State Opera of South Australia merge here with Circus Oz to bring to life Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. The production begins in humour as one of our characters throws open the curtains and insists on joining the wonderful Orchestra Victoria under concertmaster Roger Jonsson. It’s a clever breakage of the fourth wall, and a nod at the fact we are watching a play within a play, which becomes of greater importance as we move towards Act II.

The dress rehearsal of a Commedia dell’Arte pantomime is slapstick in true tradition, with Circus Oz performers Kate Fryer, Geoffrey Dunstan, D J Garner and Luke Taylor as stage hands, essentially stealing the show from the main action of the dress rehearsal. The stage hands are so effortless in their expression, humour and movement that we as an audience implicitly trust them to flip their bodies and hang off ladders without batting an eye. Unfortunately, Act I is bordering on dull, and when the curtains closed at interval, it was difficult to fathom where Laughter and Tears would take us.

Act II is a very different turn from Act I, undoubtedly as we’ve moved on from the slapstick and now entered the Tears. Tonio, performed with brooding viciousness by the talented baritone James Clayton, is the prologue to the Tears, reminding us that the customs of Commedia are over, and we are now going to witness passion, blood and flesh in Act II.

Enter Pagliacci.

Disappointingly, the amalgamation of circus and opera does not work well here. There is one exception, and it is occurs when Nedda (soprano Elvira Fatykhova) describes the freedom of birds in nature as Geoffrey Dunstan leaps upon ropes, ever-escalating in height, inspiring awe and heightened pulse rates amongst the audience. This is the amalgamation I was seeking. It was the beauty of Fatykhova’s voice soaring as the body of the performer flung itself into careless abandon. It was breathtaking and brief. Circus Oz took a backseat to the drama of Pagliacci from here on, and it will be worthwhile to utilise their skill in more astonishing ways in future exercises.

It is wonderful to see the famous tenor aria, Vesti La Giubba, performed live by such a talented tenor as Rosario La Spina. As Canio (La Spina) breaks down during this performance, the heart simply stops. The warmth and pathos of his voice is heartbreaking. I was very moved, and in that moment Tears delivered. La Spina’s shaking rage and vulnerability prior to slaying his wife and her lover showcased La Spina’s marvellous talent as a performer.

To see the death-defying leap of bird-song, and the leap of faith taken by Victorian Opera and Circus Oz, you can see Laughter and Tears on Tuesday 16, and Thursday 18 of August at 7:30pm, at The Palais Theatre: http://www.victorianopera.com.au/what-s-on/season-2016/laughter-and-tears/

Image by Jeff Busby

Circus, Performances, Review

Dislocate Presents IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK…?

First there’s good circus, then great circus – and then this

By Myron My

When you move into a house, you can’t help but be filled with the excitement of new beginnings as you begin to unpack boxes and find new places for your belongings, but what about the people who lived there before us? Not only the ones that have just left, but the ones that lived there ten years ago and twenty years ago? What memories have they left behind? Presented by Dislocate, If These Walls Could Talk…? shows the stories of these past inhabitants over six decades, through circus, performance and imagination.

If These Walls Could Talk

The four performers – Geoff Dunstan, Kate Fryer, DJ Garner and Luke Taylor – have the difficult task of not only performing circus acts that will entertain the audience but also convincingly remaining in character and showing their emotional journey in short periods of time. The first story, set in the 60s, show a loving elderly couple (Fryer and Dunstan) who decide together to take their own lives. As they reminisce over their younger years together, the acrobatics they perform are seen as visual representation of the emotions they are feeling. The closing moment is beautifully executed as the stage fades to black on the couple for one last time. And so the stories continue, showing the various inhabitants’ dealings with life, death and moving on.

The last story evokes a powerful mixture of emotions as we see a man (Dunstan) attempting various methods of suicide only to have them thwarted by some otherworldly force. When he attempts to jump out the window, the window slams shut on his face. When he attempts to hang himself by the door, the door gives way and releases the rope. Despite the clear theme of suicide, there is a delicate and thoughtful blend of humour throughout this piece, and the show as a whole. The finale is wonderfully wrought with the past residents spinning around the man on a trapeze as photographs fall from the ceiling of all the people who have lived there before.

The set changeover between the decades is comically done and highly creative, as the ensemble put their clowning skills to excellent use. The set, composition and costumes by Michael Baxter, Chris Lewis and Harriet Oxley respectively are perfectly themed to the eras. I particularly loved the 70s disco tunes of a gay relationship and the 80s pink jumpsuit donned by Fryer. Eduard Ingles’ lighting design is also utilised effectively, most memorably in the 80s domestic violence afterlife sequence.

Good circus is obvious when the tricks are good, the audience is interested and there are a few gasps, but great circus is when there is a story we can follow and we become emotionally invested in the characters we see. If These Walls Could Talk…? goes beyond even that, and creates a poignant reminder that while we should embrace life and all there is to it, we should not forget the ones that have come before us.

If These Walls Could Talk…? was performed at Gasworks Arts Park on 20-21 June 2016.

Circus, Performances, Review

Aerial Manx in TEMPEST IN A TEACUP

Cheerfully grotesque

By Myron My

Aerial Manx is one of those performers who has probably never said no to a challenge: someone who is always up for anything and testing new things and the limits of how far he can push himself and his body. Along with his wife Little Miss Bones, Manx and this new and intimate show showcases just that, and with acts such as his signature sword-swallowing backflip, Tempest in a Teacup makes it clear why he is a cut above the rest. Yes, this is not a show for the easily queasy.

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It seems the older I get the more faint-hearted I become, and the tricks performed in Tempest in a Teacup reinforced this fact for me. The sword-swallowing I could actually watch, but when Manx lifted three bowling balls chained to his ears, seeing that lobe get stretched was incredibly intense. The only comfort to me was knowing that Manx and Little Miss Bones were obviously experienced professionals who had most likely performed these tricks countless times and nothing should go wrong, and thankfully nothing did, except for the technical mishaps.

Throughout the show Manx attempted to control the music from his watch and iPad on stage. Unfortunately, technology being technology, songs did not start when they should have, started playing on their own, or began to play and then skipped to the next track. While he attempted to fix this, Manx would let us know how embarrassed he was and to talk among ourselves while he tended to it. My question is, why, when there is a dedicated sound and tech booth in the back of the venue, would you not utilise this to then focus your attention on the performance? Because while the tricks were amazing, I feel there was definitely a need for a tighter structure and direction for the show.

At the beginning, the two performers are showing us oddities they have collected over the years, including a replica cast of the Elephant Man’s skull and antique tools used for lobotomies. However, these props are never brought back again or utilised in any way, so I wondered why they showed us, apart from filling in time. On occasion, this loose awkward structure made me feel like I was watching a street show rather than a piece being performed at a venue. Manx has no doubt plenty of random and unique experiences throughout his career, and it would have been great to have heard some of those stories and how they got him to where he is now. One time when he does this well is with regards to recounting his recent Guinness World Record achievement for the Fastest Human Backbend Walk over 20 metres, which he then proceeds to perform. And if you need a visual aid on what that looks like, think of the spider walk in The Exorcist.

Aerial Manx is a great performer who is very skillful in what he does and who clearly likes to push the boundaries of what the body is capable. In order to make Tempest in a Teacup a strong production as a whole, I feel it’s imperative that he offers some more powerful purpose or reason or narrative behind what we are seeing. With the wonderful creative possibilities of circus becoming more prominent in performances at Melbourne venues and festivals, it would seem there needs to be something more happening than watching someone swallow two neon tubes simultaneously, as impressive as that may be!

Tempest in a Teacup was performed at The Butterfly Club between 29 April and 8 May, 2016.