As Perth Fringe opened this week I was incredibly excited to see this international contemporary circus act from Taiwan. To be honest – I was a little unsure what to expect from the description of the show but my expectations were well exceeded.
Part circus, part physical theatre, this show is definitely the best kind of off beat and for those looking for something different. All I could think of what how interesting, thought provoking and expressive this show is.
How and where did these women train? What is their background? And what made them want perform this rebellious circus act that differs so drastically from any traditional circus?
A little research about performer and creator of #since1994 Mei Chih-ling reveals that she studied at the prestigious National Taiwan College of Performing Arts which undoubtably informs her art today and maybe not for the reasons we would first think. Chih-Ling shares that “In school, female students would be punished if they gained 0.1 kilogram, so we were afraid to even drink water before weighing ourselves.” These kinds of experiences transfer to the stage and comment not only on industry expectations but what it means to be a woman today. How do we allow ourselves to be treated? How do we feel? What is our purpose? What are we capable of?
Rated PG I tentatively took my 7 year old daughter (who is a bit of an acrobat herself) along to this show not 100% sure if it would be appropriate. What I learnt was, that it was 100% the perfect show for us and we both loved it! It also lead to a great discussion point with her. Did she ever want to create her own work? While my daughter loves her calisthenics classes – would it be freeing for her to use her skills she has learnt to tell her own stories in the future rather than just be instructed what to tell? It was something I had thought about in the past but seeing these powerful women (both physically and mentally) in the flesh perform this was a real inspiration.
The show is as impressive with its thought provoking nature as it is with it’s circus acts itself. The strength, talent and cohesion of this all female troupe was outstanding. We saw human towers, table spinning on feet at speeds I’d never seen, contortion, hula hooping, aerial acts and juggling.
They didn’t miss the comedy of circus either and both my daughter and myself were giggling along to some sillier and more playful moments of the show. She especially loved the audience participation when she got to draw on the artists with lipstick.
This show has all the feels and takes you on an unexpected emotional journey. It’s beautifully poetic and spectacle to watch. By the end it had me with tears in my eyes; I wasn’t quite sure why, but it was something to do with the unity of women, our struggles, experiences and possibilities we all have combined.
#Since1994 runs Wednesday the 21st of January till Sunday the 1st of February at The Gold at The Pleasure Garden.
To book tickets to Since 1994, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/since1994-fw2026.
