Circus - Whats The Show

Duck Pond: Acrobatics Meet Avian Antics!

8 July 2024 Faith Jessel

Duck Pond Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

Pirouettes, waddles, and aerial feats – bodies defying gravity and whimsy taking flight. Circa Contemporary Circus presents ‘Duck Pond’, a fusion of fairy tales that redefines the boundaries of creativity and ruffles a few feathers. It’s not a circus, not pure dance, but unapologetically surrealistic and offbeat.

Yaron Lifschitz reimagines elements of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling with physical theatre, circus arts, and contemporary dance to retell a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and acceptance. While Circa’s distinctively idiosyncratic approach results in a visually appealing show, it doesn’t always hit the sweet spot in adding depth and cohesion. It’s a conundrum – an experience that’s both refreshingly unconventional and bizarre in some choices. The show comprises three distinct performances pooled into one: kinetic spectacle, clowning, and a puzzling postmodern coda.

The stage itself is a masterful design element, a vast and versatile expanse bound by a curtain that wraps around three sides. Beautifully lit, its ribbons part, permitting seamless entrances and exits from all angles, accentuating the silhouette of black and white costumes. Ten outstanding artists carry the show with an impressive display of skill and endurance. Managing to execute challenging acrobatic choreography with precision and grace. United in their commitment, they demonstrate the power of trust and collaboration, integrating agility with lovely dramatic flair.

The best moments were when time felt suspended. Sophie Seccombe, a talented acrobat, mesmerised audiences with her exquisite adagio skills, gracefully transitioning from ‘The Ugly Duckling’ to ‘White Swan’ and culminating in a beautifully executed swan dive. Asha Colless, as the enchanting Fairy Swan Mother, brought grace and majesty to the stage, her impressive power and skill shone through in her captivating acrobatic performance.

The aerial silks routine, performed by three men, was full of air and floating vastness. The blue silks swung rhythmically, twirling them through the space. With strength and precision, they performed daring drops and releases. It ended all too soon. Kimberley Rossi, as the Black Swan Aerialist, delivered a breathtaking ropes performance. Harmonising her movements with the melody, creating a memorable fusion of sound and motion.

This was a hypnotising moment before the abrupt chaos that followed: a 5-minute stripping of the floor and stage in full view of the audience, merely to bring on stage a huge TV screen displaying swans fighting, a hoops act, and the cast showing skin while posing inside lit boxes on wheels. The story then had to work uphill to return to the lake and Tchaikovsky’s score, which would have been the perfect ending after the Black and White Swan pas de deux. Instead, this false ending and flight of fancy killed the atmosphere.

The brilliant soundscape, created by Jethro Woodward, is a testament to the power of music in elevating storytelling. It was a singular audio experience in its transportive mix of modern percussive, music hall nostalgia, and the otherworldly. Incorporating elements of well-known fragments of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’, it infused a touch of the fantastical, perfectly punctuating and underscoring the action. The remix of ‘Dance of the Cygnets’ was a fabulous adaptation to accompany a very amusing duck dance, while other musical moments whisked the audience away to a realm both familiar and strange.

Circa is Australia’s answer to Cirque du Soleil, and “Duck Pond” serves up circus avant-garde with a side of Vegas flair, which should please audiences expecting the wow factor. However, the combination of dramatic and absurd did not consistently mesh. Less could have been more. It would benefit from refining the narrative structure to bring home the denouement.

This production shines brightest when it pauses to breathe and allows the simplicity of effortless skill and stillness to blend, holding space for the audience, conveying powerful moments of fluidity and trust for the story to speak for itself.

See https://circa.org.au/about-circa/ for information on the dates of the Circa tour.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

360 ALLSTARS Circle Back For Another Round

21 April 2024 Linda Lokhee

360 ALLSTARS Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

The 360 ALLSTARS are celebrating the anniversary of their first performance in 2013 by taking their phenomenal show on the road across a four-continent world tour. Their tour landed at The Riverside Theatre in Parramatta just in time for the school holidays. There were plenty of kids in the audience for this permission.

As 360 ALLSTARS suggests, the theme of this urban street circus is all about the 360 degrees of rotation. World Champion and World Record-holding artists were sourced from countries all over the world for their skills in this area. Director and producer Gene Peterson envisioned creating a contemporary urban circus, where the more traditional acts were updated with an urban performance style for a street, edgy feel.

The Ringmaster is now a live looping rap artist (Vida Sunshyne) whose original and fast-paced words accompany the artists on stage, musically narrating whilst they are performing their speciality act. Set alongside Vida Sunshyne was Jordan, the drummer, behind an impressively large drum kit set up, which he clearly knew how to make sing during the show and during his remarkable drum solo.

Instead of a unicyclist for their circus, the 360 ALLSTARS featured an extraordinary BMX Flatlander Pereira, who wows the audiences with his balance and absolute control of a spinning BMX bike. I could almost hear the kids in the audience thinking, “Tomorrow—I’m going to try that!”

The cast worked together to present a ‘video game’ to showcase the Breakdancing Freestyling duo, BBoy Jack and BBoy Alejandro, the show’s version of acrobats. This was done in such an original way, with the screen showing their strengths/ health in a bar format, much like in a video game, while they battled it out on stage, breakdancing. Both dancers had so much style and coolness in their breakdancing, which included spinning atop their heads, hands-free!

A juggler usually entertains the crowd at the circus, but in 360 ALLSTARS, they had Fume executing the most difficult tricks with his basketballs. He spun and moved them around his body with absolute ease. He involved the audience in a ‘game show’ where the audience chanted “Press it! Press it”, referring to a big red button with the words “Do Not Press” on the wall. As each red button was pressed, another basketball appeared for Fume to spin and balance. He made juggling four basketballs and balancing two spinning basketballs on top of each other look easy.

For me, Curtis’s Cyr Wheel was a firm favourite. He spun it rapidly and then hopped inside. This showcased a continuously spinning human who used his body to do many tricks while travelling around the stage. The audience was left wondering how, when he hopped off the Cyr Wheel, Curtis was able to walk in a straight line.

It may not be a traditional circus under the big top, but the energetic 360 ALLSTARS assure us that it’s time for a new tradition – it is time to flip the big top upside down and spin it around.

360 ALLSTARS is an hour-long play suitable for people of all ages. It will perform at The Riverside Theatre on April 20th and 22nd, 2024, before moving on to other theatres in Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA

10 April 20242 April 2024 Irena Begelfor

Last week, Cirque du Soleil opened their magnificent show LUZIA in the heart of the Flemington Racecourse.

The sight of the big top triggered memories of Cirque du Soleil’s previous visit to Australia during the pandemic. I vividly recall attending the opening night of KURIOS, only to discover its abrupt closure the following day. The global impact on Cirque du Soleil’s existence was undeniable. It is truly exhilarating to witness their triumphant return after such adversity.

Stepping into the world of LUZIA under the big top is like entering a whole new dimension of wonder and amazement. As the show begins, time seems to stand still with the interplay of light and rain, awakening a profound sense of spirituality. This ability to reproduce reality through a dream-like surrealism is a quality that Cirque du Soleil have mastered in numerous productions worldwide.

LUZIA combines elements of the rich Mexican culture, mythology, and nature with its vibrant colours and beautiful imagery. The main character is the Traveller who falls from the sky and gently comes down with the help of a little umbrella into a land of blooming marigolds, and majestic birds. When he turns a giant metal key, he opens a world where we travel through his imagination.

Along the way, we encounter a running woman who spreads her beautifully pigmented butterfly wings, representing the migratory journey of the monarch butterfly from southern Canada to central Mexico. Then, we meet a group of agile hummingbird acrobats, that leap through hoops. The traveller steps through a smoky dance hall, a tribute to the golden age of Mexican cinema, where three porters manoeuvre a female acrobat into a human skipping rope.

Each act in LUZIA is like its own separate show all wrapped up into one unforgettable experience. We travel through the Agave plants with dream like women dancing within giant hula hoops. Then, we watch the superior artistry of players manipulating a football, a passionate sport for the Mexican people. In a separate scene, the Peyote, known for its hallucinatory properties and grown in Mexico, is honoured in a bizarre pole dance of strange creatures.

Luzia is a show that defies expectations at every turn. One moment, you witness a demigod of rain gracefully leaping and soaring through the air, emerging from a circular pool with breathtaking aerial acrobatics. The water splashes around him as he reaches great heights, leaving an indelible impression on the audience. Then, a juggler takes the stage, skilfully manipulating numerous pins with incredible speed. The pins seem to blur into a metallic mass, creating a mesmerising visual spectacle.

Following this, a performer on a colossal swing captivates the audience by propelling himself to unimaginable heights. The swing eventually tips over, leaving the spectators in awe of the daring feat. But the surprises don’t end there. Acrobats astound with their free-falls from swing to swing, executing complex manoeuvres with apparent ease. Their agility and grace make it seem as if they are weightless. We see a contortionist, whose movements resemble that of a hypnotic snake. With seemingly impossible flexibility, his body contorts in unimaginable ways.

LUZIA’s magic is made possible through complex technical stage designs and the incredible creativity behind them. For instance, since rain is a major theme in the show, they’ve set up a water system with a rain curtain and a pool on the stage. This allows water to be used in various ways throughout the performance. The team can create the illusion of rain, and even form intricate water shapes and symbols using 178 individually controlled valves. Water is also incorporated in a funny scene where the thirsty traveller tries to catch the unpredictable rain.

Other unforgettable props include a massive disk that represents the sun, moon, and the Aztec calendar. It is suspended at the heart of the stage, weighing 2,000kg with the ability to rotate 360 degrees. Another elaborate prop is the Papel Picado, or punched paper, a cylindrical curtain that looks like an oversized lantern with cut-out characters like horses, flowers, and hummingbirds.

Speed is an important theme of LUZIA, like the Tarahumaras, a north-western native tribe known for their superior strength and agility. For superior speed, some acts are supported by giant wireless treadmills that can move in different directions and are used as launch pads to allow for swift tumbling and leaping by the acrobats.

Animals hold a special place in Mexican culture, art, and spiritual beliefs. They are featured through most of the acts whether through costumes where the acrobats morph into animals or through life-size puppets, such as the jaguar that interacts with the artist on stage.

Costumes are designed thoughtfully keeping specific colours and textures carefully crafted for each scene. Some consist of bright colours, and some are designed to represent part animal and part human like the man with the head of an armadillo, or a woman wrapped in an iguana shawl with one arm the head and the other a tail.

The audience in Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia is taken on an incredible musical journey. It’s like the soul of the show. You can feel the rhythmic beats of cumbia and flamenco guitar, creating a pulsating energy. The percussion instruments are like a constant heartbeat. The tubas and trumpets add a vibrant, brassy sound that fills the air. There is a female singer whose voice is hauntingly beautiful, and even though I didn’t understand the words she was singing in Spanish, I could feel the Latin vibe and the raw emotions that transcends language.

Today I met with Terrance, he is one of the magical hummingbirds in the performance. I asked him what makes LUZIA and Cirque shows so different from any other circus. He said: “Everything about our show is extravagant, it is a very big production, with big make-up, loud costumes, and extreme physical agility”. He added: “It is like going to watch a live version of an animation movie and making the impossible possible right in front of you.” He added “For some people, it might even be life changing”.

Luzia is a true fairy-tale brought to life, where the extraordinary becomes the norm. Each act leaves an unforgettable mark.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Circus of Illusion Comes to The State Theatre

1 April 2024 Linda Lokhee

The Circus of Illusion show has entertained audiences all around Australia for years. Produced, directed, and featuring acclaimed Australia’s Got Talent finalist illusionist Michael Boyd, it includes a short mix of acts that feels as though it is trying to appeal to a wide range of people. As such, it came across as more of a vaudeville variety show.

As the name suggests, the show opened with the Circus of Illusion’s ringmaster, Idris Stanton, who prepared the audience for the evening by lightening the mood with his comedic opening. The magic of Idris hosting was similar to him being the MC at a Comedy Festival, which appealed to the front row and the wider audience. Idris was also a performer in the show, and his percussion juggling act, accompanying a Queen song, was original and entertaining, as was his dangerously skilled juggling act of two knives and a working chainsaw.

One act included an aerial hula hoop artist, who displayed exceptional skills working with many hoops in a show of spinning and balance. At one stage, some hoops were LED lit and created a colourful display of fast-moving circular lights.

Other acts were illusions, during which Michael Boyd involved the audience and invited his young guests onto the stage to help him perform his illusions. “Do you believe in magic?” Michael asked his guest apprentices, to which they enthusiastically nodded. It was heart-warming to watch his connection with the kids, and no doubt, these children will believe in magic even more after being his guest apprentice!

Michael Boyd came onto the stage for more time than the first set during the second half to perform more illusions, some of which left me wondering how they were done. He performed them with practised ease.

The true standout of the evening for me and, it seemed, the audience, judging by their cheering, was Sascha Williams’ impressive Rola Bola performance at the end of the first act. Performing with his wife, Sascha displayed incredible skills balancing atop a variety of cylinders and ramps. At one stage, he even played the electric guitar while balancing high on several items.

Scattered throughout the show were a few dance routines performed by two dancers. The choreography complemented the music, and the dancers’ movements were precise and agile. Their costumes were beautiful, adorned with sequins and headwear with feathers. The glitz of a stage show was well and truly incorporated into the costume design for Circus of Illusion.

The stage setting was very simple, with a few standing lights and white drop sheets in the background. With a few more props incorporated into the design, they perhaps could have matched the glamour of the costumes.

Circus of Illusion is an entertaining show best suited for families with children and audience members who would expect a light, entertaining night out rather than a death-defying, thrilling night of illusion.

Circus of Illusion was performed at The State Theatre on Saturday, March 30, 2024. It consists of two 45-minute acts with a twenty-minute interval.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Connect Online