Circus Oz - But Wait There's More.
Directed by Mike Finch. Designed by Felipe Reynolds. Costumes Laurel Frank Lighting by Paul Jackson. Sound Engineer David Swinton. Circus Oz. Canberra Theatre. Canberra Theatre Centre. Until September 26.
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
During the past thirty seven
years, Circus Oz has performed in twenty seven countries to four million
people. I remember seeing a performance in Elder Park on the banks of
Adelaide’s River Torrens by the Adelaide Festival Centre. The fledgling,
enthusiastic, agile and energetic troupe already showed the trademark qualities
of strength, stamina and flexibility that underpinned their acrobatic and
gymnastic talents. However, what set them apart and continues to set them apart
from traditional circuses, such as the Ashton’s Circus or the highly
sophisticated and spectacular Cirque de Soleil is their unaffected humour, heartwarming appeal and totally unpretentious
attitude to their art. But don’t be fooled. The simple grass-roots troupe that I
saw in the early Eighties have developed into a brilliantly inventive, highly
skilled, dexterous and imaginative troupe of circus performers, whose appeal
lies not only in their technical expertise, although this is formidable, but also
in their brilliant imagination and inventive, fresh and new approach to the
magical world of circus.
After a successful tour of
America and Canada, Circus Oz returns to Australia and the Canberra Theatre
with But Wait There’s More, a tantalizing, top-notch bargain bursting show-bag
of specials, including comical clowning,
body balancing, aerial acrobatics, eye-popping illusions, hoop-leaping
gymnastics and gravity defying unicycling. Throughout a brilliant energy
charged band of musicians upped the tempo, elevated the excitement and strung
along the moments of suspense.
Circus celebrates the art of
surprise and suspense. Audiences crane forward or sit on the edge of their
seats in anticipation. Young children bounce up and down in their seats or sit
transfixed by the sheer skill of the performer. They are all waiting for the
mistake – the fall, the trip, the missed trapeze, the dropped juggling baton.
Danger shadows the artist, scorning the interminable hours of practice, the
inevitable mistakes and the risks. Circus Oz knows the dangers. They take the
risks and they colour the familiar circus acts with an original, fun-loving
showmanship that amazes and delights. Mistakes, on the very rare occasions that
they may occur, are acknowledged and the act is repeated with flair, invariably
succeeding on the second attempt
Throughout the performance, members of the troupe exude an infectious
sense of fun. As the audience enters, they are met by artists, dancing in the
aisles, clambering over the seats, greeting and warming up the audience. Singer/Emcee,
Candy Bowers, draws the audience in with her effervescent enthusiasm. Matt
Wilson picks up the narration and turns on the second half with his show
stopping But Wait There’s More,
surrounded by the ensemble in bar code costumes and clown heads. Everything in
this production shines with originality. Ironically, the show is set within a
monolithic arch from a Victorian adventure into wild, primitive lands. Wilson,
with his handlebar moustache and body clinging singlet and tights recalls the
acrobatics of the Victorian age. The
humour, however, is contemporary and good-natured cheekinesss
Too many acts to mention or
moments to applaud, it is worth mentioning the breath-taking unicycle act, while
balancing a performer in the arms. Or the clever clown routine with boxes, the
hoop-diving routines and the smoke ring leaping sequence. The baton juggling is a feat of incredible
precision and Olivia Porter’s ball balancing and juggling routine is miraculously
skilled.
Circus Oz, after lampooning the
hard-sell harangue of the hungry retailer, close their show with a stylish,
sculptural balancing composition that atmospherically morphs into a curtain
call. It is a gentle conclusion to a stunning and startling show of phenomenal
expertise and vibrant theatricality.
There is no glossy artifice; no manipulative spectacle, no sideshow
trickery. The appeal of But Wait There’s More is its unadorned talent, its ingenious theatrical imagination
and its ebullient sense of fun. You will be amazed, delighted and filled with
the joy of child-like wonder. Don’t miss this world-renowned and unique circus
troupe when they come to town.
