Circa, the Brisbane based contemporary circus company, is currently playing at The Sydney Opera House drama theatre with their show Wunderkammer, which means sparkler. And spark it certainly does. This is hot stuff with a sense of humour. Trapeze, rope, contortion and startling acts of acrobatics have the audience gasping their way delightedly through the show.
Director Yaron Lifschitz has shaped a Wunderful cast of seven world class circus performers (three girls, four boys rotating between the ensemble-Nathan Boyle, Jessica Connell, Daniel Crisp, Jarred Dewey, Casey Douglas, Valerie Doucet, Freyja Edney, Darcy Grant, Scott Grove, Todd Kilby, Emma McGovern, Rudi Mineur, Alice Muntz, Brittannie Portelli and Lewis West). They work in a seamless union while allowing, and pronouncing, personal/character idiosyncrasies and the piece as a whole has impressive lyrical flow. An effective lighting design by Jason Organ helps this.
What was the show about? I have no idea, I find myself thinking three quarters of the way through. But that I have’t asked this question earlier on proves that it doesn’t matter, or need a story line. The acts are so visceral and the cast so in their bodies (they just have to be with such high level acrobatics to perform) that we are captivated from beginning (a contortion trapeze act) to end (jaw dropping acts of acrobatics).
More info and tickets here.