Directed by Kon Kudo
Warehouse Circus
The Street Theatre until 8 October.
Reviewed by Len Power 6 October 2016
Warehouse Circus is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated
to improving the mental and physical health of young people through the medium
of social circus. Located in Chifley,
they have been providing social circus classes in Canberra since 1990.
From an original concept by Nathan Anderson and an original
story by Liv Hewson, Daniel Gunthorpe and Karla Conway, ‘Polarity’ tells the
story of a town delinquent caught in a flood which forces him to face up to his
past and gain the strength of character to survive.
The production has been given a great production design by
Christine Nowak. The bare stage with
chairs dangling from wires creates a sense of intrigue and expectation. Lighting design by Gillian Schwab gives the
show a nice circus atmosphere and the sound design by director, Kon Kudo and
Aleshia Johnson uses well-chosen music.
The young cast of 15 are breath-taking in their level of
acrobatic, balancing and juggling skills.
All the expected circus-type routines are presented along with many
fresh and original moments and some good flashes of dark humour.
The show has been physically directed very well by Kon Kudo
who keeps the show running at a fast pace.
There’s a lot happening on stage but the director keeps a tight rein on
where the audience focus should be.
Unfortunately, the story of the show is not clearly
presented and you need to read the synopsis beforehand. I wasn’t given a program until after the show
so I didn’t know what it was all about.
I just settled back and enjoyed the circus presentation of these
talented young people anyway.
This review was first published in Canberra City News digital edition on Friday 7 October. Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 'Artcetera' program from 9.00am Saturdays.
