Cranked Up

Cranked Up is Circus Oz’s latest extravaganza, and according to the program notes it’s revised from its From the Ground Up show which premiered in Melbourne last June. Not having seen the previous incarnation, or indeed any past Circus Oz performance, I was pleasantly surprised to have my expectations exceeded by a truly talented group of performers who seemed to be pulling out all the stops to ensure everyone in the audience had a good time.

If the hallmark of a good circus is (as I suspect) that it makes adults wish they were children again, then Circus Oz certainly fits the bill. More than anything I wanted to be one of the many kids in the audience who were genuinely dazzled and awed by the larger than life personalities, the engaging performances and the frequently breathtaking acrobatics on display – accompanied, I’m pleased to note, not by backing tracks but a live band whose talented musical director missed not a beat in the challenging task of keeping all the music synched with the performances.

Circus Oz is one of those rarities in today’s world, a genuine family show that anyone could take the kids to see and enjoy together – fun, exciting, with some showstopping moments and a refreshing absence of anything crass (it must be, for instance, about the only piece of kids’ entertainment around these days not to deploy a single fart joke). The performers - accomplished acrobats and aerialists all – displayed an admirable commitment to delivering the goods, creating memorable onstage personas like “Fantasya Fitness” that I’m sure plenty of kids are mimicking in the playground this morning.

The only real criticism one could level at the show is its distillation of the circus world to acrobatics and aerial feats at the expense of more variety. There was clowning among the performers but no clowns as such. There was magic but no magician. People expecting a more traditional show may have been disappointed – but those familiar with Circus Oz, or those simply seeking a great time without set expectations, should find this contemporary take on the circus a terrific evening out for the whole family.

Alex Paige

Images: (top) Jez Davies - clubs anf (lower) ensemble - Hazel Bock, Jez Davies, Kai Johnson-Peady, Flip Kammerer, Bec Matthews, Stevee Mills, Amy Nightingale-Olsen, Carl Polke, Ania Reynolds, Mark Sheppard, Mason West, Shane Witt and Dale Woodbridge.