TwentySixteen

Circus Oz aficionados of all generations were out in force on opening night at Birrarung Marr, so much so that the pre and post-show gatherings resembled a family reunion.

As the show proceeded, we were swung in some kind of moody stupor, slightly unhinged, winging between vignettes of every colour and mood. Spellbinding grace rides a unicycle, undresses while standing on another’s head, and balances innumerable small red balls. Brassy spectacles are in-your-face on all things that bend or swing or stack, and slap-sticky satire brings us back to earth with a chortle.

Circus Oz understands the power of stories, particularly those which begin with intrigue, and so there is a great deal more to marvel at beyond acrobatic artistry. One excursion into a surreal dream with a stack of red chairs resolved so intensely that the tease-of-terror cracked like a bolt of electricity.

Lighting Design is a soft, languid seduction, interplaying with costume textures, and are at times mesmerising. All are framed by with a crescent scaffold. And ah, the music. Always captivating: a conspiracy of sound in cahoots with the narrative.

Tonight Circus Oz was likened to an eco-system, and as a company who stage such a sensory experience, its big hearted, fearlessness is easy to love. As the adoring crowd rose unquestioningly to its feet, with the sound of hands smacking together, I was left in no doubt about what I needed to write in this review. Just go people, just go.

Lucy Graham

Season Dates: Melbourne, 15 June-10 July; Tanunda (SA) 26 July; Torrensville (SA) 30-31 July; Alice Springs (NT) 5-6 August; Geraldton (WA) 19- 20 August; Mandurah (WA) 31 Aug-1 Sept; Bunbury (WA) 3-4 Sept; Launceston (Tas)22-24 Sept; Preston (Vic 28 – 29 Sept; Frankston (Vic) 8-9 October and Bendigo (Vic) 15 October.

Photographer: Rob Blackburn.