Over The Back Fence | Vulcana Circus

After wowing us with their December 2020 show Rear Vision in the carpark, Vulcana Circus continue to subvert expectations of what a performance space can look like with Over The Back Fence directed by Celia White. Boasting more than 10 different acts across four venues, this was an immersive, engaging, and exciting journey, part way between a mystery tour and the best school excursion you’ve ever been on (only with no teachers and more beer).

As soon as I stepped inside the Vulcana Circus venue for the initial leg of the trip, I was hit with the thrill of anticipation; of not really knowing how the evening was about to pan out, but knowing it was to be something well out of the ordinary.

I was dazzled by the first act – a group bike performance by a large troupe – by bodies weaving around each other, climbing on top and around, behind, in front of, jumping on and off, and riders swapping seamlessly, all while the bike kept its pace on the circle. There were a few small fumbles that only added to the performance, spicing things up in the way little mistakes always do in any slightly dangerous activity. The whole group looked like they were having such fun that I wanted to be part of the action!

Our MCs for the evening were the endearing Buster 1 (Madeleine Grant) and Buster 2 (Phoebe Manning) of bus 1 and bus 2 respectively, who ushered us indefatigably between venues and acts, and kept us thoroughly entertained along the way with stories, jokes, and a whole host of classic school bus singalong bangers that were so bad they were good. Buster 1 and Buster 2 also roped us into their little competition of whose bus was better, which lead to some pretty hilarious moments of audience participation and kept the littlest members of the audience engaged too.

At the first stop we meandered through the garden beds of the Beelarong Community Gardens where we witnessed a range of emotive pieces ranging from dance to contact acro. A real highlight was the duo acro work of Abbey Church & Mayu Muto whose cheeky exuberance and show of strength and precision kept me absolutely captivated from start to finish. I also had my heart-strings tugged by an emotional movement piece about struggling with addiction and the fine line between having it all together and falling to pieces.

At the Laundromat were a couple of acts that each told an amusing story centring around the very relatable situation of just trying to get the laundry done. On to the brewery for dinner and a show involving a variety of lyra and tissue aerial acts that had us mesmerized all through our meals. I was particularly taken by the final tissue performance that involved several performers using four tissues in a creative, collaborative way. On return to the Vulcana space, audience members and performers mingled, danced, and were treated to stellar live music by powerhouse trio Beauty & The Beats, with a brief interlude of one last special performance.

This community event showcased many levels of performers, some seasoned and others on stage for the very first time. It was a real pleasure to watch them support each other through the shaky moments and to see the passion they all put into their work, whether for the first or thousandth time.

A benefit of the such out-of-the-ordinary venues is that the different settings gave a real sense of atmosphere that you just don’t get in your average performance space. Watching the acts unfold right next to where the gardens’ chicken coop or in the back carpark of a laundromat or amid the fermentation tanks of the brewery, added a certain flavour, an element of peculiarity that pairs well with the already unusual nature of what circus bodies do. It was certainly interesting to see the performers interact with the uncommon spaces each in their own ways.

I particularly enjoyed the format of the event. It was weird, it was highly interactive, it was a little confusing at times, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend Over The Back Fence those who like a bit more adventure, mystery and interaction than you find in the average sit-down show. When’s the next bus trip, Vulcana? Sign me up!