What Will Have Been | Circa
circus, review Catherine Lawrence circus, review Catherine Lawrence

What Will Have Been | Circa

The three acrobats are the stars of this exceptional show that features incredible hand balance by Daniel O’Brien, a fluid and moving straps solo (and acrobatic ‘dance’) by Kimberley Rossi, and quite amazing strength work by Zac Stephens. In just over 60 minutes, the performers demonstrated their mastery of circus arts to create moments of beauty, strength, power, fear, tenderness, pain, humour, wistfulness, joy, and connection.

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GODZ | Headfirst Acrobats
circus, review Triss Niemi circus, review Triss Niemi

GODZ | Headfirst Acrobats

When we talk about beautiful men, we will often say ‘Awh, he’s like a Greek God’. Headfirst Acrobats take this aphorism and run, giving us GODZ: a one-hour high comedy, high camp, circus extravaganza, all the while keeping it extremely sexy.

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IMPACT | Vulcana
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IMPACT | Vulcana

The showcasing of such a diversity of voices all affected by the climate crisis is what made IMPACT special. The entire event felt like a community getting together to share stories and find comfort in shared experience.

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Eternity | Circa
circus, review Catherine Lawrence circus, review Catherine Lawrence

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.

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Cirque O L I O | JACs Entertainment
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Cirque O L I O | JACs Entertainment

Being a semi-regular attendee of circus, I admit to a degree of scepticism towards the promise that I would see something I had never seen before. I was delighted to be proven wrong, my cynicism melting away not in what was performed, but in who performed it. I’ve seen numerous sexy hoop acts before, but O L I O made the unexpected but fantastic choice of including Adam Malone, a non-binary circus artist in its line-up.

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POWER | Strong lady Productions
circus, review Tristan Niemi circus, review Tristan Niemi

POWER | Strong lady Productions

Childs herself seems like the type of person whose hugs make you feel safe. She possesses a charm that helps her win the audience over almost immediately. Childs is the perfect guide and guardian for the audience as they travel through what power, strength, vulnerability, and weakness all look and feel like to them. From hearing her story and witnessing her vulnerability I can confidently say Childs is not only a Strong Lady, she is a strong person as well.

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Arterial | Na Djinang
circus, review Ofa Fanaika circus, review Ofa Fanaika

Arterial | Na Djinang

This performance for me showcased the new storytellers of our time, the holders, and caretakers of ancestral message. The work of Arterial to me was a deep dive into what it means to be living now, as a First Nations person in so-called Australia. Ritual and Relationship a strong theme throughout, upheld in a deep respect of Country, Culture and Self.

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Knee Deep | Casus Creations
circus, review Catherine Lawrence circus, review Catherine Lawrence

Knee Deep | Casus Creations

Knee Deep is a beautifully-crafted display that wordlessly spans both the Intimate and large scale. The 60 minute show is absolutely packed with contemporary circus skills, including literal high-points of towers, hoop, trapeze, and silks—and intimate moments of playful wooing of the egg, and interchangeable, duets, trios, and quartets that move across and though the space.

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Assume People Like You | Melon The Human
circus, review Ofa Fanaika circus, review Ofa Fanaika

Assume People Like You | Melon The Human

Melon the Human demonstrates clowning at its finest, providing an hour’s worth of circus with the skill of a yesteryear street hustler. He kept us there. Melon’s fluidity in all the balancing, balls, rings, giant cube gags, tennis ball decoys he scatters throughout his performance are masterful. A stellar performance for his first time running this show. Most definitely worth a looksee.

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In The Arms of Morpheous | ARC Circus
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In The Arms of Morpheous | ARC Circus

There was something very satisfying about watching Robbie Curtis, the sole performer in In The Arms of Morpheus, float and bounce around in a magical dreamscape. His movement was very fluid and light and the first trick with a big, bouncy cloud of fabric was such a good introduction into his world. Curtis combined some really impressive swinging pole, tumbling and juggling with a lot of well done clowning.

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What does circus mean to you?
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What does circus mean to you?

If you haven’t heard, Brisneyland is getting it’s very own circus festival - thehighly anticipated CIRCFest22 Meanjin. Circus for young folk, for those looking for an extravagant night on the town, for lively teens, for sweet and shy people, for those with a sick sense of humour, circus for everyone! We’ve gone out to some of the incredible artists that will be performing across the festival from April 21 to May 1, and we asked them, what does circus mean to you?

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"It automatically places people in this space of physicality that builds trust." Vulcana Circus on elevating the voices of those less heard
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"It automatically places people in this space of physicality that builds trust." Vulcana Circus on elevating the voices of those less heard

In this interview, co-directors and facilitators Celia White (Vulcana Circus’ Artistic Director) and Michelle Grant-Iramu discuss the process of enabling and empowering a large ensemble of a recently acquainted cohort, the imperative for access to art-making for people with experiences of trauma, truth-telling with a view to elevate the ordinary and making it extraordinary, and how circus is a perfect vessel for transformative art-making.

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Nerve | Lauren Watson
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Nerve | Lauren Watson

The display of sheer strength and determination shone through this work brilliantly, as Lauren lifts her body onto the Lyra, in which she cleverly pulls from one of the disassembled wheelchairs on set and performs a superhuman aerial routine with impressive shapes as the haze floats peacefully on the surface floor and the mood lighting stunningly highlights her willpower.

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Auntie's Fiafia Night | Casus Circus
circus, dance, review Saskia Sassen circus, dance, review Saskia Sassen

Auntie's Fiafia Night | Casus Circus

Imagine two powerful women with vibrant flower covered moomoos, fanning themselves with woven fans, and big palm leaf plant beside them, laughing and gesturing as the performers take turns trying to earn a smile from them all night long. This shows just how respected elders and women are in Pasifika culture and that was an amazing take away for those who may not be of that background/culture.

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Dirty Laundry | Briefs Factory
circus, cabaret, review Virag Dombay circus, cabaret, review Virag Dombay

Dirty Laundry | Briefs Factory

Briefs Factory’s Dirty Laundry is sexy but it also has a lot of heart and soul. It’s a show that not only dazzles but is also about connection and finding joy and pleasure in moments of uncertainty. It’s a show that will make you wolf-whistle, stomp your feet and leave you thirsty for more.

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