Eternity | Circa
I can see why Circa’s Eternity has been the elusive golden ticket of the festival: a sold-out world premiere production by internationally renowned local superstars, promising a site-specific work that brings acrobatic excellence and contemporary spiritual music to Brisbane’s St John's Cathedral. The setting is sublime, the music is glorious, the skills are impressive, and the whole show is an absolute delight to watch.
The stone-vaulted neo-gothic cathedral is a beautiful space for this show. Circa’s artistic director Yaron Lifschitz (Director and Stage Designer) has filled the central aisle of the cathedral nave with an elevated narrow stage. Seats are placed on three sides, with audiences looking at the stage, and toward the altar and choir. Audiences are first invited to enter the cathedral in silence and to promenade around the space—watching Circa’s ‘emerging crew’ demonstrate the building blocks of acrobatic and circus skills on plinths stationed around the periphery of the nave. And moving a rope slowly around the seats were members of the main performance cast. Unfortunately this did turn into a slight game of musical chairs, as some audience members were keener to stand by what they felt might be best places to get their seat of choice—which was a pity as the youth skills were impressive, every seat seemed to have an excellent view... and there were plenty of seats.
Once the audience was seated, the performers moved onto the stage, twisting, running and moving with and against a rope along and across the main stage. And we were then treated to almost an hour of tumbling, lifts, strength, jumps and acrobatic skills that blended into a beautiful interpretation of the soundscape—with imagery that evoked moments of love, tension, joy, trust, and pain. And a show that worked so well within the three dimensions of the cathedral space—along and across the length of the nave, as well as occasionally soaring up and into the full height of the apse.
I loved the synchronised duets which appeared to flicker up and down the length of the nave. The strength and balance work by the whole team was breathtaking—including ‘trademark’ Circa tricks that appears to have extra tweaks and new ‘bells and whistles,’ such as the various towers (two and three high) that quickly shifted to include acrobatic poses, throws and crab lifts.
My four personal highlights were at the start and close of the mainstage show. I was enthralled by the incredible aerial rope work, effortlessly soaring into the roof of the apse in the early section of the show. I loved seeing the ‘duet’ between the aerial straps/loop artist and their counterbalance riggers; watching the focus of the team, as they moved along the stage to elevate the aerial was a moving experience, and is a skill that is often hidden behind the scenes (when audiences are concentrating on the aerialist). I was really moved by the teamwork, skills and trust on display in the fabulous balance work, when one performer walked upward (and toward the main door of the cathedral), balancing on the backs, hands, shoulders, and heads of their fellow acrobats. And the final climb up the stretched silks, held taut by the rest of the cast (and to a soundscape that evoked Tibetan prayer bells and mountain air) was almost as mesmerising as the closing silks splits, high above the altar.
Lifschitz’s work is a perfect response to Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s glorious Tabula Rasa and Fratres. It’s a pity that the budget didn’t quite stretch to having a live performance by the Australian Chamber Orchestra (Richard Tognetti, Director and Violin, and Satu Vänskä, Tabula Rasa-Violin). But the recording and sound design were such that I initially wondered where the orchestra had been hidden away, thanks to the great work by Jethro Woodward (Composer and Sound Designer)!
Circa’s latest work is a fabulous demonstration of the skills and stamina of world-class acrobats. And Eternity is a visual feast, thanks to the excellent direction, lighting and set design.... and also to the fabulous costumes designs by Libby McDonnell. The white costumes had a cohesion of style, but each was subtly different—evoking a sense of contemporary casual, tennis and beach wear, with a sprinkle of light corsetry.
As far as I am aware, only one of the 2023 Brisbane Festival shows has sold out. Looking back at the promotional material for the show, I have to confess it didn’t ‘immerse you in a state of rapture’, nor did I feel that ‘circus could grapple with the mysteries outside the visible realm.’ But this is an incredible show that would work in any cathedral space across the world, and it deserves to be seen by wider audiences.
Verdict: Eternity is a compelling production that demonstrates the talents of world-class performers, where the skills of a visionary creative team evoke feelings of joy, awe and delight. When you go... just be prepared not to have time to blink, and remember to breathe.
