CIRCUS 1903 - The Golden Age of Circus

Directed by Neil Dorward. Scenery design by Todd Edward Ivins.

Costumes designed by Angela Aaron. Lighting designed by Paul Smith

Music composed by Evan Jolly.

Presented by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson for the Works Entertainment

Canberra Theatre Centre 1^st – 10^th December 2016.

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

Just when you think you’ve seen every possible connotation of circus, along comes a show that blows you out of the water. “Circus 1903” is that sort of show.

This brilliantly realised concept sees 20^th century circus re-imagined through 21^st century sensibility, utilising clever design which takes full advantage of modern theatrical technology to conjure up an exciting and romantic circus world which probably never existed, but is evocative enough to awaken memories of the wonders of that first visit to a circus.

Ringmaster, Willy Whipsnade (wondrously portrayed by avuncular magician David Williamson) arrives before the circus and within minutes has every kid in the audience, young and old, wide -eyed and under his spell. He dispenses popcorn and comedic corn in equal quantities, like some lovable, wicked uncle on a mission to enthral everyone with the magic of circus.

And just as magically as he’s promised the circus arrives in a flurry of activity with muscular roustabouts and gaudily costumed circus dwellers setting up the big top and side-shows in a series of cleverly choreographed sequences which showcase a succession of brilliant specialty acts from around the world.

The first act concludes spectacularly with the raising of big top, and the whole ensemble transforming astonishingly into colourfully costumed circus performers, then recommencing after interval with a grand parade, with Whipsnade, now in full ringmaster regalia, expounding the virtues of each act from his repertoire of delightful hyperbole.

All of the brilliant speciality acts harken back to traditional circus skills which may have been on show in 1903, but in this show, refined and developed to a level of skill and ingenuity surely unimaginable in 1903. High wire walkers and a knife thrower from Mexico, acrobats from Spain, a speed juggler from France, a truly amazing contortionist from Ethiopia, a stunning aerialist from the Ukraine, and an unbelievable trapeze duo from Canada, are just some of the acts which amaze and dazzle.

But as amazing as these acts are, it is the presentation surrounding them, together with the stunning recorded soundtrack that references circuses of yesteryear that lifts this show into a class of its own.

However, for the kids in the audience, it’s the animals they’ll remember most vividly. Not real ones, but the mighty puppet elephant which enters magically through the mist, or the lovable baby elephant that scampers around the stage, or perhaps Whipsnade’s hilariously unco-operative racoon.

While cleverly tapping into that rich vein of nostalgia most adults cherish of their first circus experience, “Circus 1903” lives up to its pre-publicity in every way, providing an extraordinarily charming and spectacular entertainment for the whole family.

Following its world premiere season in Canberra  “Circus 1903” will play the Sydney Opera House from 18^th to 29^th January , then the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from 3^rd to12th February, before moving on to an extensive tour of North America. Catch it while you can.

  

This review also appears in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au

CIRCUS 1903

CIRCUS 1903. 

Director and Co-Creative Producer. Neil Dorward. Executive and Creative Producer. Simon  Painter. Executive Producers. Tim Lawson and Andrew Spencer. Puppets designed by Tracy Walter and Mervyn Miller for Significant Object. Puppetry Director. Mervyn Millar. Scenic Design. Todd Edward Ivins. Costume Designer. Angela Aarons. Lighting Designer. Paul Smith. Composer. Evan Jolly. Canberra Theatre. Canberra Theatre Centre. December 1-11. 2016

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

The Flying Finns. Giovanni Maldonado, AJ Saltamacchia
Petter Linsky  Photo: David James McCarthy

Breathtaking! Astounding! Unbelievable! Magical ! Hilarious and Heartwarming! And still the superlatives come. CIRCUS 1903  is a once in a lifetime treat. MC Extraordinaire Willy Whipsnade (David Williams) says just before the appearance of Queen of Elegance, Aerialist Lucky Moon (Elena Gatilova), “When you take away the razzle dazzle and the ballyhoo, you are left with the most extraordinary talent.  Producers Tim Lawson and Andrew Spencer have assembled a phenomenal cast of superbly skilled circus artists to entertain, thrill and delight. You gasp at the split-second timing of the acrobatic Flying Finns as they catapult each other into the air from the see-saw springboard. You bite your nails at the knife throwing danger of The Perilous Perigo. You gaze in wonder at the exquisite grace of aerialist Lucky Moon, wince at the bone stretching twists and turns of the Elastic Dislocationist,  hold your breath in anxious anticipation as the Sensational Sozonov balances during a 360 degree rotation on the Rola Bola; fixate your stare in disbelief at the miraculous juggling antics of The Great Gaston (Francois Borie) or marvel at the dexterity and balance of Los Lopez, the high wire family of performers from Mexico. Every act in this show, so ably introduced by Willy Whipsnade, is a tour de force of the art of circus with its gymnastics, balancing, contorts, and a host of  acts rom the bygone era of circus that fill an audience with awe and wonder. As a finale to Act 1, an enormous puppet elephant makes its way onto the stage, accompanied by the playful, unpredictable Peanut, a cute and adorable baby elephant with a yen for mischief.

 David Williamson as Willy Whipsnade the MC
Photo. David James McCarthy

I sit there blown away by spectacle, transported by Evan Jolly’s stirring composition, erupting in laughter at Whipsnade’s brilliant handling of the volunteer children from the audience, who willingly take part in his simple magic and fun-filled comedy. W,C. Fields’ advice never to act with children or animals is given short shrift in this parade of unbelievable feats of strength and agility and excellent handling of elephants and kids.

Luke Chadwick Jones in the Elephant. David Williamson
as Willy Whipsnade and a child volunteer
Photo: Davtd James McCarthy

From the very rousing orchestral sounds of the Great Prague Symphony Orchestra, the music transports us from the pounding rhythms of the percussion accompaniment to the Roustabout clang of construction to the gentle balletic accompaniment of Sarti or the stirring jubilation of the corrida. Evan Jolly’s composition is the very life force of this circus, recalling the glories of the circus of 1903, reflected in the costume, the hysterical sideshow and eventually the grand presentation of the ring circus. Every act in this show is a brilliantly cut diamond. Rare mishap is turned to triumphant conquest. Timing is precise, honed and executed to perfection, applauded uproariously by an audience hungry for more. Artists posture with exuberant exultation at their success, almost against all odds and inviting with pride the adulation of their audience. 

CIRCUS 1903 recalls the great circuses of yesteryear. A flag-waving finale is the parade of the workers, united in their devotion to their art. It is the circus of Eastern Europe, the Russians, the Sl;avs, the Balkans and the  borderlands between East and  West. Performers from all over the world pay homage to those early years of dedication to the rigourous demands of their art. In 2016, we may remark on the decorative role of the women in the knife throwing, or the tightrope routine and a tradition that appeared to be more the province of the strong and resilient male, while the woman stood by in presentational pose. It is 1903, and the female artists amazed with their balletic grace, their gymnastic dexterity and their aesthetic appeal. A contemporary feminist view of an old tradition? Perhaps, but  one is still left to wonder at the female artist, Mariaiose Pontigo of Los Lopez, performing the splits on a plank between two bikes balanced on the highwire or Anny Laplante spinning blindfolded into Andrei Kalesnikau’s waiting hands or Elena Gatilova’s sheer strength while working on the aerial ring.

Los Lopez:.  Johan and Jonatan Lopez and  Mariaiose Pontigo
Photo David James McCarthy

 And finally my favourite, because every circus must have a favourite act. Here it is so hard to choose, but I reel at the amazing skill of Le Jongleur extraordinaire, the Great Gaston (Francois Borie), for whom every baton is a whirling , twirling, flying  reflection of unbelievable focus, control and lightning speed reflex.  You may have seen circuses before and amazing feats of strength, magic and physical agility, but you have never seen the wonders that await during an unforgettable journey back in time to Circus 1903.


Photos by David James McCarthy for the Canberra Theatre Centre

Nerdlesque

Review by John Lombard

Burlesque, perhaps surprisingly, is the natural home of nerds: it is, after all, a place of obsession and passion.  Many burlesque performers are also closet (or not-so-closet) fans of sci-fi, fantasy, comics, videogames, and everything else kids were picked on for liking back in high school.

Producer (and enthusiastic performer) Bambi Rey's debut show Nerdlesque explores the meeting of these two worlds, with a night of burlesque performances inspired by geek pop culture.

With vivid, larger-than-life characters such as Jessica Rabbit and Harley Quinn to draw on for inspiration, the performances were infused with a vitality that was only matched by the enthusiasm of the performers.

When the Amazonian Violet Grey came on stage for a Darth Vader-inspired piece, I knew both that I was in for an entertaining night, and that I would never look at the dark lord of the Sith quite the same way again.  Fi Bonnaci also took inspiration from a fantasy epic with her Samwise Gamgee - a welcome comic interlude that reminded us that feet aren't the only part of the hobbit that is hairy.  Eve La Reine's Jessica Rabbit also drew on film for inspiration and somehow managed a waistline normally only seen in cartoons.

Other performers took inspiration from videogames, with Bambi Rey's D.Va and Painted Doll's Samus Aran both abandoning power suits for skinsuits before slipping out of those as well.

Comics were however the most strongly represented group, with multiple acts themed around Batman's world - although the caped crusader was conspicuously absent.  Katarina Klaw's Catwoman lathered herself with milk, Scarlett Mustang's Batgirl transformed the burlesque staple fan dance into a clever whirling cape strip, and the night finished with a Joker and Harley (Bambi Rey again) double act that evoked the French Apache dance between pimp and prostitute.

Other comic book-inspired acts included an additional performance by Scarlet Mustang as Black Widow, an act that began with the performer in prudish office attire scattering her paperwork into the audience (actually, as it so happens, Hulk/Iron Man #Labromance erotic fic) before stripping down to her cat suit.  The most accomplished performance of the night was also comic inspired, with bonus points for extra obscurity: Joey's gender-blending take on Daredevil foe/lover Typhoid Mary.  Joey's acrobatic, ultra-flexible performance was a show-stopper, let down only because the lack of Typhoid Mary's iconic make-up made his character unclear.

Overall the acts were extremely well-rehearsed and polished, with the detailed and elaborate costuming a particular delight.  While Joey was handily the best dancer, Scarlett Mustang's creative use of burlesque staples was striking, and the interplay between Bambi Rey's Harley and her Joker was beautifully observed.

The MCs were less strong, the pair sustaining decent patter but visibly lost in all this nerdiness.  They made jokes about Rod Stewart and Amy Winehouse with a crowd that might have been more comfortable with digs at Kamandi or Dragon Age's Morrigan.  They at least admitted to being disoriented by Overwatch's backstory (aren't we all?) but the show would have benefited from hosts that were as unabashedly geeky as the performers.

Reload was also a strong choice for the venue.  Although it was stuffy and a bit packed for space, the atmosphere was perfect, and every time an act mounted the bar top I wondered whether it was actually going to take the load.  The themed cocktails were also fun: I tried the Darth Vader which promised to contain "rebel blood", and it indeed tasted a little like the joy of crushing rebel scum.

Nerdlesque was a strong debut show that understood and loved its target audience - my inner teenage boy was thrilled.  Marvel movies and Apple have made nerd mainstream.  Nerdlesque reminds us that nerds, when they choose to, can bring the same obsessive focus to sexy.

THE GOOD DOCTOR

The Good Doctor

Written by Neil Simon

Directed by Clare Moss

Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art (CADA)

CADA Theatre, Fyshwick to December 2

Review by Len Power 30 November 2016

The Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art (CADA) provides professional actor training with nationally recognised Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas under the Australian Qualifications Framework.  As their final show for the year, three graduating students from the Advanced Diploma of Performance program appeared alongside continuing students from the Program to present Neil Simon’s 1973 play, ‘The Good Doctor’.

The play is a series of short plays based on works by Russia’s Anton Chekhov and linked by a writer, possibly Chekhov himself, as narrator.  Neil Simon’s characteristic humour laces all of the plays and they are all ruefully funny.  The CADA company performed seven of the ten short plays.

Director, Clare Moss, has produced a lively and thoughtful production using minimal set and props.  It moves at a good pace and the depth of work on characterizations with the actors is noteworthy.

 The three graduating students, Izaac Beach, Imogene Irvine and Liam McDaniel, all gave disciplined and technically strong performances.  Izaac Beach was especially funny as a worry wart subordinate who accidentally sneezed on his superior and couldn’t forget about it.  Later in the show he was delightful as a reticent young man being taken by his impatient father to a prostitute to lose his innocence.  His endearing character and sense of timing in this sequence was excellent.

Imogene Irvine gave a nicely controlled, quiet performance of a wife targeted by a seducer and appearing to succumb until she unexpectedly turns the tables on him.  Later, she was particularly impressive as a desperate actress at an audition, first gushing all over the writer but then giving a surprisingly strong reading.

Liam McDaniel played the sneezed upon General with nicely pompous authority and demonstrated great skill in the physical comedy of an apprentice dentist whose excessive zeal terrorizes a patient.

There was good work from the supporting students, too.  In particular, Kathleen Masters gave a warm, controlled performance as a Governess being taught a cruel lesson and Haydn Splitt demonstrated a strong natural flair for comedy as the husband unwittingly helping the man intent on seducing his wife and, later, as the increasingly irritated father taking his son to his ‘life lesson’.  Also impressive was Damon Baudin as the writer, performing the narrations with great feeling and comic sensibility.

Everyone else in the cast had nicely memorable moments and gave good performances.

‘The Good Doctor’ isn’t as well-known as the more famous Neil Simon plays like ‘the Odd Couple’ but it is very funny in a quiet way and takes skilful acting to make it work.  The CADA students and their director did a fine job, making this a very entertaining evening at the theatre.

Len Power’s reviews can also be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Artcetera’ program from 9.00am on Saturdays and on other selected Artsound programs.

VINEGAR TOM

Written by Caryl Churchill

Directed by Cathy Petӧcz

COUP: Canberra production

Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre to December 4

Reviewed by Len Power 29 November 2016

“Vinegar Tom” is the second production presented as part of Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres’ Ralph Indie program in 2016, a new initiative that supports artists to develop and present new performance works.  New experimental arts collective COUP: Canberra presented Caryl Churchill’s 1976 play which explores gender and power issues in a Brechtian style against the background of the witch trials in 17th century England.

Storywise, the play struggles by comparison with Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and Jon Whiting’s “The Devils” that cover similar subjects.  It might have seemed more immediate when it was written in the 1970s when womens’ rights issues were breaking new ground.  It was interesting that a play that argues so strongly that its women were innocent victims has a woman who happily accuses other women of witchcraft.

Acting of the cast was uneven and lacked depth of character.  While it was a good idea in theory to have local musicians composing and performing the songs to Caryl Churchill’s lyrics, it was impossible to understand the lyrics from all but one of the singers.  The songs needed to be integrated into the action of the play.  As presented, they slowed the play down and robbed the production of the tension it should have had.

Set design by Imogen Keen was minimal and uninteresting and the strange denim costumes worn by the women were distractingly awful.  The lighting design by Gillian Schwab worked very well.

There is a seating change for the second act where the audience has to sit on benches.  After a while, some audience members appeared to find it more comfortable to stand up and lean against a wall instead.

This review was first published in the Canberra City News digital edition on Wednesday 30 November.  Len Power’s reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 "Artcetera" program from 9.00am on Saturdays and in other selected Artsound programs.

HOT TO TROT - QL2 Dance

Project Director and Mentor: Ruth Osborne

Project Co-ordinator and additional mentoring: Jamie Winbank

Lighting Design and operation: Craig Dear

QL2 Theatre – 26^th and 27^th November 2016

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

Now in its 18^th year, “Hot to Trot” offers potential young choreographers, who participate in other of QL2 Dance initiatives, the opportunity to try their hand at choreographing a short work for this annual showcase.

Each choreographer who takes on the challenge has the advantage of professional mentoring, technical back-up and access to dancers. Each is encouraged to explore ideas and create movement, as well write program notes, source costumes and music, consider lighting design, and schedule and rehearse their dancers to performance level.

They are also required to introduce themselves and their work to their audience, and then submit to questioning by the audience after the work has been performed – a task often as daunting and revealing as the work itself.

This year ten choreographers participated. Their inspiration was as varied as their dance works, exploring such topics as loneliness, brain function, growing pains and even building demolition.

The program commenced with an absorbing short film by Natsuka Yonezawa, entitled “Travelling Light”. Filmed mostly in the carpark of the National Gallery of Australia, the film explored notions of loneliness and solitude, featuring dancers, Rifka Ruwette and Tahi Atea in a succession of tightly choreographed situations involving clever use of timing and rhythm changes  to create a heightened the sense of mystery.

“Welcome to your brain” was a bright little work by Milly Vanzwol, exploring brain function.  Performed by Vanzwal, together with Gabriel Sinclair and Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh, all clad in cheerful Hawaiian shirts, this work was notable for the clarity with which the ideas were expressed and for its well-rehearsed unison movement.

Caroline De Wan used six dancers costumed in attractive shot taffeta frocks for her ambitious and amusing work “17 Days” in which she explored the rules and laws dictating our interactions. Well-managed mood changes made for an interesting work, which would have benefited from a little more attention by the dancers to individual execution of the interesting movement ideas. 

     

Interesting movement choices were also evident in Ruby Ballantyne’s intriguing “The Only Constant”. Setting out to examine the “inevitability and consistency of change”, Caroline De Wan, Caspar Lischner and Jason Pearce wriggled across the floor and executed primeval neck rolling movements in strongly committed performances in an interesting work notable for its well-conceived duo work.

Caroline De Wan, Caspar Lischner, Jason Pearce in "The Only Constant"

Iamge by Lorna Sim

Tahi Atea displayed a well-developed sense of theatre with her work “Growing Pains”, which commenced with dancers Natsuko Yonezawa and Walter Wolffs confined inside a square window frame. Excellent music, lighting and mature movement choices combined to ensure the clarification of her theme.

Natsuko Yonezawa and Walter Wolffs in "Growing Pains" 

Image by Lorna Sim

Amusing facial expressions, good group movement and a sense that her dancers, Eve Buckmaster, Milly Vanwol, Rifka Ruwette and Tahi Atea, really understood the message they were conveying, marked the funny and well-executed performance of Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh’s “Pet Peeves” for which the title says it all.

Tahi Alea, Milly Vanzwol & Rifka Ruwette in "Pet Peeves" 
Image by Lorna Sim

Shantelle Wise-McCourt chose to explore the emotional and mental conflict of love and lust, with her work “Compelled”.  Danced with conviction by Caroline De Wan, Ruby Ballantyne and Zach Johnson, this moody piece featured interesting, often surprising movement choices, some interesting unison work from De Wan and Ballantyne, and a well resolved ending with Johnson alone on stage in a circle of light.

Zach Johnson and Ruby Ballantyne in "Compelled" 
Image by Lorna Sim

For his evocative work “The Graveyard Shift”, Jason Pearce dressed his dancers, Gabriel Sinclair and Ursula Taylor, in boiler suits to explore the effects of shift work. Imaginative use of a pillow and a torch, together with voice-overs, made for a compelling and interesting creation. 

Gabriel Sinclair wrote his own music, and included cheerful, friendly dialogue in his well-resolved work “We-dentity” in which Caspar Lischner, Patricia Hayes-Cavanagh, Zach Johnson and Audrey Sharwood argue over priorities in a series of snapshots.

The demolition of the Currong Apartments provided the inspiration for a thoughtful work by Ursula Taylor in which five overall clad dancers performed industrialised movement conveying her response to the demolition and reconstruction of city dwellings.

While not all of the works were successful in effectively conveying the chosen themes, all were admirable for the thought, effort and creativity which had gone into them, and together they provided a fascinating and entertaining evening of dance. Particularly impressive was the commitment of the dancers to the works in which they appeared. Whether any of the young choreographers  go on to have sustainable careers in dance is yet to be seen, but doubtless all will have learnt a great deal about the art of choreography through their participation in this year’s  “Hot To Trot”.