Mother Africa

This show is a jaw-dropper and spirit-raiser!

Throbbing drums, huge smiles, irrepressible energy, gorgeous costumes all support acts for circus stunts that are spellbinding: A contortionist who doesn’t appear to have a bone in his body; a woman who balances and juggles a table, a huge pottery jar, and fabric squares; a man who spins wash basins like other performers spin plates; a unicyclist who rides cycles from a hand span high to three bikes so tall he needs a tradesman’s ladder to mount them; two brothers whose balancing acts are heart stopping; a young man who is tossed and tumbled on the feet of another; a ball juggler who has added a further skill – bouncing the juggled balls off 45̊  ramps; two brothers’ amazing feats of strength using only hand-to-hand techniques; the usual balancer on a pile of chairs; a hula hoop artist – you hardly get a chance to draw breath.

Then there are the singers and dancers – including the miners gumboot dance, always a favourite – and drummers, apart from the drums in the six-piece band. The whole show is a non-stop pageant of colour, sound, music, radiant smiles, ululating and bootie shaking, and no one can do either of these better than Africans.

It’s a real family show. If you missed it, watch out for its Queensland season late June into July after it returns from WA, Victoria and South Australia tours. It will play most places with a cultural centre.

Jay McKee