Saturday, April 1, 2023

BOOP - Statera Circus



Produced and performed by Karina Schiller, Dylan Singh, Aleshanee Kelso, Tomas Correia, and Annette Lindros.

The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 30th and 30th  March.

Opening night performance reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

A collection of five inventive acrobats who produce and perform offbeat shows aimed at connecting with at-risk youth through collaborative development, Statera Circus is currently touring the country with their latest effort, “Boop”.

Direct from the Adelaide Fringe Festival, their opening night Queanbeyan performance was minus Tomas Correia, which no doubt affected some of the well-rehearsed routines, but never-the-less the remaining quartet managed to impress with some hilarious clowning and clever acrobatics.

Karina Schilla and Aleshanee Kelso in "Boop".

Aleshanee Kelso played the snooty, efficient supervisor, imperiously hiring and firing staff, while performing seriously impressive acrobatics. Karina Schiller, firstly as a hungry customer constantly devouring bread, then as a demented chicken wandered the super-market leaving a bread trail and chaos behind her; Dylan Singh, as an industrious employee trying to keep ahead of the supervisor and earning brownie points for his efforts, and Anette Lindroos busily occupied herself keeping the chaos flowing and the audience informed, in a simple setting representing any local supermarket.



Tomas Correia - Dylan Singh - Aleshanee Kelso - Karina Schiller in "Boop"

The supermarket setting proved a convenient excuse for a series of acrobatic routines which involved juggling with toilet roles, balancing mops, and whizzing around the stage in a shopping trolling. However the most impressive tricks which had the audience on the edge of their seats, involved the performers performing dangerous balancing manoeuvres on slabs of transparent Perspex. A task they accomplished with admirable skill and panache.

And why the title “Boop”?  Well this becomes perfectly obvious when you see the show. Boop!!