ACAPTA rap_UP the art of directing circus & physical theatre
CONTENTS
In_House chat Special Feature * the art of directing circus & physical theatre
* In Conversation with Robin Laurie & Gail Kelly
* Introducing John Paul Fischbach
* The Legs on the Wall Story part 2: featuring an interview with Patrick Nolan
* Thus Spoke Zeb Zeb Hunter directs the A4 Circus Ensemble Project image: Zoe Robbins, A4 Circus Ensemble © A4 Circus Robbins, image: Zoe Shout Out: * Jane Mullet replies to Mitchell Jones
* Ari & Evan need you
High Alert: Westside Circus / Circus Works / NICA / The Flipside Circus Roll Call WINTER 2009 Winter is certainly upon us but it has not dampened the spirits of the circus & physical theatre sector. Heaps has been happening all over Australia.
Some events that have been and gone are: Circus Oz with their home-town big top show Barely Contained at Birrarung Marr: Oz are now on tour and I will catch up with them in Bathurst at the Catapult Festival, September 23 – 27. Flipside Circus in Brisbane have been busy as always with their Roll Up! … Or Run Away? show which they premiered at the Powerhouse and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus have finally received funding to actually build a brand new space, how exciting is that! A wake was held for the old space in recognition of all that they have produced which has been huge and Impressive and we can all look forward to more, more, more when we cross the threshold of the Fruities brand new building! Freaky © image: Cirkidz, Freaky
Brewarrina Youth Circus have been getting around NSW. The Bre trainers have been running the ‘Schools Out’ – Circus Program in conjunction with Outback Arts & the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation. The Bre Youth Circus trainers’ team have been teaching hula-hooping, acrobatics & juggling in Walgett, Collarenebri, Lightening Ridge, Goodooga, Bourke, Cobar, Coonamble and Gulargambone – a mighty effort!
ACAPTA | Office: 20/5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne VIC 3051 Tel: +61 3 9329 9600 | email: [email protected] | url: www.acapta.net In May I managed to get to Adelaide to see ‘Freaky’, a collaboration between Circus Monoxide from Wollongong and Cirkidz from Adelaide – an innovative and very exciting project, which I think offers us all some new possibilities in how we can come together to create original & dynamic circus & physical theatre productions. I was inspired and I hope to interview Al & Dan on the art of directing collaboratively in the near future. Freaky was presented as part of the 09 Come Out Festival & it received rave reviews and enjoyed a sold-out season!
I decided that the Winter edition of rap_UP would investigate the art of DIRECTING. Now I have to confess that it is a subject that is somewhat close to my heart although I can assure you that there is nothing up my sleeve and I do not have a hidden agenda in relationship to selecting this topic to explore.
However I think that we need to talk more about directing as it seems that there is a need. I am often told with great conviction that there are no circus and physical theatre direc- tors! This is simply not true there are lots out there so why do we think that there are none? I am keen to get a discussion or a number of discus- sions going on this subject so as al- ways send me your responses, your opinions or your experiences in re- lation to working with a director or not!
image: The Flying Fruit Fly Crcus Fly Fruit image: The Flying I have already had a number of truly inspiring conversations on this topic – so read on and hopefully you too will feel inspired.
Keep in touch, as I love to know what all our talented and hard-working ACAPTA members are doing and see you in Spring!
Gail Kelly In conversation with Robin Laurie & Gail Kelly
A few months ago I was at aperformance of Robin: we were interested in physical per- The Controlled Falling Project by THISSIDE- formance. We thought that live perform- UP, which Robin directed. In the foyer, post ance was going to die because TV was tak- show Robin & I started a conversation. about ing over. Grotowski (a Polish theatre director directing circus and physical theatre (which and innovator of experimental theatre, the we have both done now for many moons)! I “theatre laboratory” and “poor theatre”) de- suspect that our conversation is ongoing & veloped a very rigorous and intense physi- that it is always destined to be accompanied cal training methodology; he was exploring with cups of coffee, bowls of soup and late the physical presence and kinaesthetic in- night post show raves. However on a cold teractions between the physical performer but sunny winters’ day in Robin’s garden we and the audience. He was looking at ways finally sat down for a couple of hours to talk in which he could unify the intellectual, the about directing…and this is what transpired. physical & the emotional in performance.
Firstly for those of you who don’t know, Rob- Culture was changing and in times of change in Laurie was an original founding member people always return to the’ known’ for ex- of Soapbox Circus who then became Circus ample, Meyerhold (who was considered one Oz. of the 20th century’s greatest theatrical in- novators) Brecht (was a life-long committed Gail: How did it all start? Marxist who, in developing the combined Appetite © Swing, image: Club theory and practice of ‘epic theatre’, syn- cause there were so many languages spo- thesized and extended the experiments of ken in the factories We, were also interested Piscator and Meyerhold to explore theatre in how we could make large-scale images as a forum for political ideas.) & Piscator (a with our bodies and we wanted to change German theatre director who, with Bertolt the world…we both laugh but the irony is Brecht, was the foremost exponent of epic that they did! theatre, a form that emphasizesd the socio- political content of drama, rather than the We didn’t have directors in Circus Oz either; emotional manipulation of the audience) all occasionally we had ‘an outside eye’ but not used various circus forms in their ‘theatrical’ very often! works. I think that when a performer performs for a So there we were in Melbourne in the late long time that it is possible for you to actual- 70’s and the decolonisation movement was ly develop a sense of what you look like from happening (the rejection of British cultural the outside and sometimes you can also be models) so we, the performers went back to wrong about that. our cultural roots – vaudeville & circus. We used the physical & verbal vernacular and Performing is about sharing and making we researched it by looking at the work of yourself completely open to the other per- George Wallace - a fine silent comedian. We formers, the audience and the space that were interested in how culture responded to you are in and these perceptions very rarely change. We wanted to take performance out happen in circus because circus demands of the halls and into the parks . We were also a different set of skills and a different focus interested in using contemporary music & and that’s where the director’s ART comes in. technology because they were a major part I often talk to performers about when they of our lives. The Pram Factory was all about need to be completely focused on the skill writers’ & performers’ working together and and when they can actually perform the skill; we did not want to work with directors’ but I It takes time and experience to learn these think that this reaction was based on a very things. Ultimately, I believe that performers’ old fashioned idea about directors. can learn or get a feel for how long it takes to move between this dual focus that is a I interject: is that the notion of the director pre-requisite of every circus artists’ perform- as the ultimate authority – god so-to-speak! ance repertoire – experience help to master That is such an old idea which seems to have these skills. re-emerged today in notions of the boy gen- ius director who is the ultimate visionary! Gail: and circus has so many performance variables, which are unpredictable for exam- Robin: At the Pram Factory, the performer ple circus apparatus doesn’t always behave was the creator of the work and not just an in the same way so focus can shift within a interpreter of text. In circus a primary rela- performance sometimes radically. tionship already pre-exists between the per- former & the audience – this relationship can Robin: yes in circus things aren’t fixed and as be heightened by trickery but it is an exqui- the performer you need to invent your way site relationship and it is one that is, perhaps through those things and the director has unique. to guide you through those things. In Soapbox Circus we worked with the Match- box Band & we wanted to take our work into Gail: when I am directing I can usually feel factories so we used our physicality to make when the performer is not in control of those the shows: we couldn’t rely on language be- ‘unknown’ things or is fearful and distracted by the variables. So I think that it’s important the time constraints & economics. Com- to work on deconstructing the work – pulling panies tend to hire performers with ready- it apart and looking for the moments when it made acts and the directors’ job is to make is solid and then clearly identifying the points the acts flow in & out of each other. where it drifts skills wise & performatively – Gail: directing transitions as I call it! Current- when a performer doesn’t know this informa- ly there are very few ensembles who make tion they tend to throw everything in at the new work. Today contemporary circus has precisely the wrong moment and that can be become a culture of random acts. disastrous, scary & unsafe! Robin: As a director I create a shared lan- Robin: also the physical skills are the perform- guage between the performers and a se- ance. ries of frameworks in which different ideas Gail: the bare bones. & performances can sit. I introduce a set of conceptual ideas that can actually inform Robin: there is confusion about that idea in the way or ways in which the skills are per- all sorts of ways. formed. Gail: circus artists often think that you have to impose ‘character’ over everything. Gail: and I always want the performers to go beyond the obvious emotional, physical and Robin: yes and the shift that happened in conceptual interpretations of whatever the dance with Pina Bausch’s work hasn’t yet framework or concept is. happened in circus! Gail: I think that Acrobat go close to it. Robin: and I love research for example in THISSIDEUP I researched the history of grav- Robin: yes they have no guile ity and I discovered that Galileo ran objects Gail: and they perform the skills as exagger- down an incline and then he marked the ated versions of themselves – personas. different speeds with bumps. He was gaug- ing intervals and tempo so then this idea in- Robin: In Circus Oz we had to dress things up formed the show – when we put the book because we didn’t have a very high level of & ball on the teeter-board we were playing skill, now it tends to be all skill and not many with these ideas. ideas! Gail: no sensibilities. Gail: I love it when the performers have the At this point we acknowledge that we have confidence to play. When they use the ideas both, mostly worked on devising perform- that are informing the work to find a sense ances. of play within the skill because when a per- former plays then the skill is no longer the Robin: In devised work I am part of the team structure of the work – it becomes informed and I like that by the ‘play’ and this then enables you to Gail: when you devise work with performers’ physically edit the work. You realise that you you talk about what you want to make and don’t need every skill, you can select, you how you are going to make it – you have con- edit & you heighten both the performers & versations and you exchange ideas the audiences experiences of the work.
Robin: I strongly believe that the whole is We discuss skills and we both agree that we more than the sum of the parts and that the don’t teach skills and that this is the job of director is part of the whole team. the trainer. We both reflect on how you don’t really getto make work using this process very often due Robin: I know how to shape things Gail: and to give sequences a sense of dynamics. Robin: Circus is more akin to music – in a band the order of thesongs are important.
A director shapes the whole show; you need a good sense of rhythm. You shape the individual performances and how & when transitions occur – you do that by working with lights, music & space.
Gail: the initial relationship for the director is with the performer therefore I arrive with ideas but not character.s Robin: it is the engagement with the performance that matters and that can happen via the skill, the apparatus or the idea. Gail: we both come from making work via devising processes therefore the performance per- sonas are also generated via the process – they come about through a range of investigations, experimentations & responses to the concept. Robin: I also bring a sense of humour (comedy) to the work. I like the ridiculous and the profound and the beautiful.
Gail: and I love the ugly. Robin: I am probably a bit more afraid of the ugly than you. Gail: you have to explore conflict, contradiction & obstacle because without these qualities the work flat-lines. Robin: Club Swing came with skills. They didn’t have to learn them so they were willing to play; they all came to the process with a great sens of theatrical
Appetite © Swing, image: Club context. Sometimes circus artists are fearful of the un- known therefore they are afraid to play. Performers make choices and they often link these choices to a framework where the steps are very clear for example: in juggling - it goes 3 then 4 then 5 balls then introduce clubs. Working with a director requires a huge level of trust which goes both ways.
The challenge is to trust that someone might know or see something that you can’t as the per- former and that’s hard but that’s where the creative process of working in a group comes in.
Circus is a collaborative art form and the director is part of the collaborative process. We pause we have finished our soup but our conversation will go on!
to be continued...
INTRODUCING John Paul Fischbach image: John Paul Fischbach © Fischbach image: John Paul
John Paul Fischbach, has a long history of directing and producing theatre, festivals and site- specific events, from the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles to the International Puppet Carnival in Melbourne Australia and the Bali Spirit Festival in Ubud Bali. He fell in love with the dramatic potential of Circus Arts (and particularly aerial) in the early 90s and worked closely with Firefly Theatre in Edmonton (Canada). A master of ritual, ceremony, myth and spectacle, John Paul has combined his talents as a director and dramaturg to create exciting physical / circus produc- tions in the U.S., Denmark, England, Bali and Canada and now his home is Melbourne where he continues to produce and direct. John Paul is the Executive Director of the Auspicious Arts Incuba- tor helping small independent arts organisations to become sustainable.
John Paul starts our conversation about directing with a question.
Is there a core belief that a director or a dramaturg will stuff-up the performers’ work?
Gail: In some ways I think that is true particularly with emerging performers & companies who seem to believe that originality, creativity and working with a director are mutually exclusive proc- esses. If you work with a director then somehow it is not your work. I was working with an emerg- ing artist last year who told me that initially he was not keen on working with a director because he thought that a director would take the work away from him but by the end of the process he told me, ‘you have made it more about me. So the ideas that performers have about directors are not always the real.
John Paul has made a number of key observations about the Australian circus arts scene. For example, he has observed that it is a very dynamic community but it is not sustainable because everyone is so addicted to funding but the circus community is worth investing in because it can succeed in the market place without funding! John Paul’s personal journey is that he is an Artistic Director who also has producer chops but it took him 10 years to learn the business side of thhe arts and as he states:
‘the joy of the Incubator ...
(Auspicious Arts is proud to announce the Auspicious Arts Business Skills Development Program at the new Auspicious Arts Incubator. Through this Australian Government funded initiative under the ‘Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business program’, Auspicious Arts Business Skills Develop- ment Program will provide business skill training and mentoring for 282 arts businesses over the next two years. With the combined strength of partners, the City of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia Business Arts Foundation and Biz Arts Makers and with support from Arts Victoria and the Australia Council for the Arts, Auspicious Arts Incubator will be ‘dry dock’ for the creation and re-engineering of businesses in the small / medium sector of the arts industry.
“Creating sustainable arts businesses is the key for artists to be able to stay and keep creating work here in Australia” said John Paul Fischbach, the programs’ coordinator, who brings a wealth of international experience in assisting small independent arts organizations. When one signs up to the life of an artist, no one tells them that they will also need to be a competent small business operator. No matter how brilliant an artist may be, no artist can survive long term in this industry without business skills).
... is that no-one has to spend 10 years to learn these skills – I say, let’s go!
If your building a circus show and you need a trapeze artist then you hire a specialist. Directors & Dramaturgs’ are specialists too so hire them it will only make your show bigger, better and strong- er! It is the same as hiring a welder to make specialist piece of gear.
If artists are afraid that a particular director will stuff up their show then don’t hire that person. You have to be clear and you need to find the right director.
The directors’ job fundamentally is to make the performer look good and my tools as the director are different to yours; the performers’ tools are skills, charisma & an idea and mine are: lighting, sound, spectacle, language, poetry, dynamics, rhythm, theme, character, plot and the two that are essential are: metaphor and story. So when you create something as a performer you think I want someone to bring those things to my ideas, skills / tricks and charisma – how cool is that!
If a core belief is that a director stuffs up the work then the other key belief must be that the di- rector owns the work. This is simply not true. I think that we are now past the generation of the directors who were auteurs’ (the auteur theory holds that a director’s work reflects that director’s personal creative vision, as if he were the primary author or creator) but if you are afraid that a director is going to put their stamp on your style then don’t work with that director.
Circus is a collaborative art form so if you’re truly not into collaboration then do it yourself – don’t hire a director because it wont work. But with a director what you end up with on opening night is better than the idea I had and better than the idea that you came with and that’s the pay off.
Moving onto dramaturgy, which is the greatest cry, because being good at your trick is not good enough anymore. Trapeze is the greatest challenge because the trick is amazing but without char- acter & story it is boring. We have all seen so much circus that unfortunately these days no one is going to be amazed by a ‘heel-hang’ anymore. The audience is too savvy so if you don’t work with a dramaturg then you need to get the audience as physically close as possible to the work so that they are completely aware of the danger. What directing & dramaturgy do is to help the performer because the performer is so far on the inside of the moment – you have to be in it at 200% or you will hurt yourself but you are building something for an audience – so how can you know what an audience is perceiving? You can’t it is not possible. image: Firefly Theatre © Theatre image: Firefly
There’s the performer and the apparatus and the audience – no-one needs to get between the performer & their apparatus but someone needs to get between the performer and the audience – so a circus performer is trapped by the art form for example a juggler with 3 balls can play and interact with the audience but when they move on to 7 balls they cannot disengage from the skills - the juggler has to focus on the 7 balls to keep them moving and that’s where the director can help because they can structure the performance to move between when you can play with the audience and when you cant – they work with these shifts in focus so that the performer always looks amazing.
An example of this was when I was working with Firefly in Edmonton and we did a talk-back ses- sion with the industry after a performance because we wanted to create a show that didn’t stop for the trick and we didn’t want to create a show about people who did tricks so our challenge was how could we make the trick the show?
After the talk back we decided to create a boy / girl scenario using two trapezes – they meet, they flirt, they move away – we kept building the relationship from the apparatus so that eventually to develop the relationship she had to make a leap of trust by moving on to his trapeze – there comes a point in every relationship where you have to trust it and you have to make that leap if it is going to work; in circus you can physicalise this quality; you don’t have to find a metaphor – how cool is that. I saw a German Wheel act once where the girl kept trying to talk to the audience but she couldn’t because every time she tried to speak the wheel would turn, spin, drop etc. The audience loved it and it was so simple a character and an obstacle but it worked because it had a director to say you have just done 5 runs and you have not connected with the audience so you have lost the rhythm – you need to only do 2 runs – a director keeps an eye on these things because the performer cant as their focus has to be on the execution of the skill. This performance had resonance - the meta- phor was how many times have we all been trapped in or caught up in the wheel of life?
John Paul clearly remembers this performance from 15 years ago: I remember her struggle and the pay off – when she finally got to speak she couldn’t remember what she wanted to say – lights out!
Circus is fascinating in terms of performance because for the first 2 minutes the audience admires the performer because of what they are doing. The audience recognises that they cannot do this but then the performance has to connect with the human condition to keep the audience in- volved, present.
Gail: Recently a woman told me that she didn’t go and see circus performances anymore because it was just like sport, all skill and no heart
John Paul: Yes, circus tends to take for granted everything that is around the trick for example in THISSIDEUP’ – the hat game wasn’t very interesting to the performers’ but it was interesting to the audience, because we all have something in our lives that is out of our reach and we have all been bullied! But the circus performer will often skip through what the audience relates to in order to get to the TRICK!
Tissu is a great example of this – the drop is always the focus but the climb is also a key so you need to work with both. The audience sees the Tissu and they think are you going to climb a piece of fabric? Wow, so there is already drama in this idea. Perhaps this is not very interesting to the performer but if you slow a foot-lock, right down then suddenly with one shimmer of the knee it releases and for the audience this is magical.
We discuss the performers’ need to do more and more and more.
John Paul remembers working with a Tissu artist who wanted to do 5 tricks – this then becomes a demonstration rather than a performance so we ended up agreeing on 2 or 3 tricks.
Gail: I feel like this with juggling it goes 3 then 4 then 5 then 6 then 7! Often the audience loses the connection after 3 or 4 but it keeps on going and going – why?
John Paul: I believe that the audience often cheer at 3 or 4 because they are waiting to move on; like with chain saw juggling there is only so much danger that you can do and you can’t pretend that the audience has never seen chainsaw or big knife juggling before. If you were the first guy to do it, awesome but if you’re the 30th then forget it.
If circus artists want to make great work then they need to work with all of it.
Freaky © image: Cirkidz, Freaky
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Before you read about the work of Legs I would like to acknowledge the eight years that Debra Batton spent developing most of this repertoire for the company; she did a mighty job and I will be interviewing Debra later this year so watch out for that.
PRODUCTIONS:
Legs on the Wall has two distinct strands of work: large-scale outdoor spectaculars that transform skyscrapers into striking vertical stages, such as Homeland (1999), Eora Crossing (2004), and On the Case (2006); and more intimate experiences for audiences in conventional theatres includ- ing the classic show that first put Legs on the Wall on the international map All of Me (1994), as well as Under the Influence (’98), Flying Blind (2001), and Runners Up (2002) and Four on the Floor (emerging Artist program ’05) Currently LOTW is in rehearsals for a new show, Beyond Belief, which will premiere in July 07 at the Carriageworks, Sydney’s exciting new performance precinct.
Yet again Legs On The Wall have shifted traditional circus skills into a new, dramatically entertain- ing dimension. Glasgow Herald, Scotland
ON THE CASE
On the Case was commissioned by the cultural festival of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. First performed in March 2006, its weeklong premier run in Melbourne, was seen by approxi- mately 30, 000 people. On the Case won 2 Helpmann Awards (Australia’s Live Performance Industry Awards) for Best Choreography and Best Physical or Vis-
Legs on the Wall © Wall on the image: Legs ual Theatre Production and has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.
On the Case is a headlong rush to find out what truly matters among the debris of modern life, as one woman fights to snatch back what is rightfully hers – her stolen heart. In this striking combination of complex aerial choreography and a stunning original score, per- formers fly, cartwheel, jump and run through the air as they bound off a giant animated world created by huge cartoon projections. A truly innovative and spectacular performance that uses the breadth of a building to create a vast and wide vertical stage.
Brilliantly devised video graphics…expertly directed…provokes our sense of wonderment The Herald Sun THE MAGIC FLUTE The Magic Flute was a co-production with Opera Australia. Described as “a triumph” by The Aus- tralian newspaper, Legs on the Wall’s collaboration with Opera Australia on their production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute was not only a box office smash, but was also an innovative, dynamic production which:
integrated opera and physical theatre elements into a brilliantly cohesive whole The Australian.
MELBOURNE 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES OPENING CEREMONY, AERIAL SECTION. Legs on the Wall devised and performed in the aerial section of the Melbourne 2006 Common- wealth Games Opening Ceremony, which was viewed by millions of people around the world.
HOMELAND
Homeland is a truly spec- tacular large-scale outdoor show. Homeland highlights the struggle to enter and be accepted in a new society, as the stark face of a skyscraper becomes a huge no man’s land, an ocean that must be crossed by migrants seeking to build a new life in a strange country. Set to the delightful resonating sound of
Legs on the Wall © Wall on the image: Legs Bulgarian song and music by Australia’s leading world mu- sic ensemble, Mara! and the Martenitsa Choir, Homeland is an unforgettable experi- ence.
Homeland was featured in 2002 as the finale of the Manchester Commonwealth Games Cultural Program, UK. The show toured to Berlin in 2003 and was performed during the Sydney Olympic Games on the façade of the 26-storey AMP Building to crowds of over 10,000 a night.
Athletic, awe-inspiring, gob-smacking performances – Sydney Morning Herald
“One of the most athletic, awe-inspiring, gob-smacking performances of the [Manchester Commonwealth] Games.” Sydney Morning Herald, 2002 EORA CROSSING
Eora Crossing is where two worlds first meet – the Eora Aboriginal people and the first white settlers – originally made on the site of Sydney’s First Government House. It combines Indigenous dance and storytelling with new aerial technologies. As it traverses the walls of the Museum of Sydney it traces the historical journey of connection and disconnection. Eora Crossing was a co-production between LOTW and the Museum of Sydney and presented by Sydney Festival in January 2004 to over 5 000 people per night.
ALL OF ME
Legs on the Wall © Wall on the images: Legs All of Me is a shattering portrait of the secret life of the family – the passions and intensities, the loves and hatreds, the enduring bonds of love that make it the most complex of human organisms. Since its premiere in 1993 it has be- come a classic piece of physical theatre, whose timeless themes move audiences as power- fully today as it did over a decade ago. It has toured to the New Zealand International Fes- tival of the Arts; IV Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota, Colombia, 1994; Edinburgh Fringe Festival (won Angel Award winner 1996 Edinburgh Fringe Award for Most Outstand- ing Show across forms), 1996; the Galway Arts Festival, Ireland; the Tollwood Festival, Munich, Germany and the Shanghai International Arts Festival, 2002.
‘Just extraordinary. Legs on the Wall lives up to its name with a gravity-defying spectacle that com- bines physical theatre skills with a rare emotional eloquence’ - The Guardian
And Finally I would like to introduce the new Artistic Director of Legs on the Wall – Mr Patrick Nolan.
Gail: What is the essential difference between a director and a performer?
Patrick: The Director is the person who sees more than anyone else in the room. A performer can never really understand what the audience is getting. But, I guess that there are exceptions to that idea for example; James Thierry, he is both inside and outside the work. That’s the thing with directing there are always exceptions!
What is Physical Theatre?
Physical theatre is changing & opening up to such an extent that there is now a fluidity, which allows it to move between many forms. Currently, there is a dialogue between dance & physical theatre, therefore the form is blossoming and the question really is, have categories become irrelevant? Perhaps!
Gail: in the beginning physical theatre either came about from the skill-set of circus or dance now contemporary dance ulitilises circus skills and circus has integrated some of the language of cotemporary dance– it is all morphing and that makes for opportunities to create exciting new projects. Who is Patrick?
Patrick has been a freelance director for over 20 years. In fact his appointment as Legs on the Wall’s new Artistic Director is certainly a very fitting way to celebrate his twentieth year as a direc- tor.
Patrick: ‘I have always had an interest in the body. I love text and words and I love the body. Direct- ing is a craft, a set of skills, which needs to be respected. A director needs to be fluent in lighting, design, performance, technology, music and that’s a life- long process.
I have worked a lot with new Australian writing, music theatre and opera. For me this combina- tion has been fortuitous because in working with new Australian writing I have learnt about nar- rative, tempo & rhythm, as well as about story & character. When, when you work in opera you have to understand how the orchestra contributes to the story & how the abstract form of music contributes to character.
I have also directed a couple of large-scale community projects. In the Lismore project we used the audience as the river. The performance happened throughout the town and the Longreach project was a celebration of carnival and carnie folk because Longreach is home to the Stock- man’s Hall of Fame; and one of the sections in the museum is all about the travelling performers’ and Sharman’s Boxing troupe so we started the project by looking at this tradition. We called the show, ‘the Greatest Show on Earth’ we had a core group of 10 performers and musicians and we had eighteen months to make the show with the community. It was such a privilege for me to be part of that community and to work with the artists in the town. Longreach has a very strong cultural life; artists such as the Longreach Brass Band and the Longreach Thistle Band (they are a pipe band) all performed in the show – it was such a fantastic experience. Why Legs on the Wall?
The place of the body in story telling has long been my passion so I have been building my technical use of scale by doing site specific work and I have been the caretaker for concerts in the Domain in Sydney for awhile now so for me Legs holds all of these possibilities because they produce site specific work which is driven by the body. They are a company who have a body of work so a performance language already exists but it is a language that is elastic and it is a language that can be built upon.
In the work that I want to create with Legs I want to look at the body’s relationship to live music and I want to create a 3-way dialogue between the music, the performance and the technol- ogy -video art. For me it is as though there are three members of a musical group. I love Jazz because there is a dialogue between the musicians in a jazz group; the rhythm section speaks to the solo instrument which could be say, a piano and that ‘relationship’ is then dynamic and exciting and at any point any of the instruments can take the lead so I want to explore this type relationship in my work at Legs – body, music, video. Patrick Nolan, Legs on the Wall © Wall on the Legs Nolan, image: Patrick thus spoke ZEB!
I approached my initial foray into directing with much excitement and trepidation. For years I had expressed the desire to direct work but had never had the opportunity. Although I had aspired to direct for a long time I had no idea whether or not I had a talent for it. Throughout the process I constantly analysed the work we were creating. It was an unnerving process to fabricate an idea, there is an insecurity that comes with creating something you like, it makes you vulnerable, con- stantly during the process I questioned my decisions, is this a self-indulgent choice? I like it, how will individual audience members coming to the show each with their own unique perspectives feel about it or interpret it? What are we saying and conversely what are they hearing? As a value judgement is it good or bad? There were so many times along the way when I doubted myself and the abilities of the cast to finish the piece and to physically replicate our ideas on stage in a manner that reflected who are as people and as artists. I am highly self-critical and a bit of a perfectionist, which I think can be beneficial in our industry. When you are confident in the work you are making it is easier to stand by your decisions proudly.
The creative process with A4 Circus Ensemble was both gruelling and rewarding. Over a span of 3 weeks we worked between 9 am - 6 pm, stopping briefly for lunch in which we spent the entire time discussing the creative development. The process was made more intense by the fact that we were living together as part of the HotHouse Theatre Company’s “Month in the Country” residency program. We shared a house together and created the work in a backyard studio. At the end of the day the artists would then take an extra hour to train individual skills at the Flying Fruit Fly Cir- cus generously opened late for our benefit. The core ensemble consisted of 3 graduates of the Fly- ing Fruit Fly Circus (Nathan Boadle, Zoe Robbins and Jessica Connell) and one graduate from the National Institute of Circus Arts (Thom Worrell). I assumed the role of artistic director, Carl Polke as composer and Chris Thompson as the artistic mentor. Chris’ vast knowledge and eye for small de- tails really added clarity and reinforced the direction we were taking. Carls’ music unified the piece and he counselled us on artistic choices we were making through- out the show. When we commenced the project we vaguely knew each other, but through seeking to at- tain our shared goal we ended as a group, as a cast.
The composition of the White Nights © White Ensemble, image: A4 Circus show was highly col- laborative. Each piece and subsequent link was created from improvisations based on various themes, images and emotions drawn from the text of Fyodor Doestoyevskys “White Nights”. Over a 3-week period the Artists workshopped and devised proposed ideas. These ideas organically lead to the manifestation of a logical and cohe- sive show created through long hours of work, sheer determination and the commitment of everyone involved in the process.
My goal was to establish a work of art that touches people in a range of ways. I wanted peo- ple to leave feeling amazed, inspired, happy and nostalgic. I really believe that art is about people, both the creators and the audience. Aligning the desire to express your voice while delivering it in an engaging way. For me there are 3 principals I tried to constantly consider in the creation of the work: technical skills, internal emotions and relationships between the characters.
The most intimidating moment for me was right before the show started, sitting among the audience members, I waited to watch the show for the first time without a pen and paper in my hand, ready to just absorb what was about to happen on stage.
Throughout the next 45 minutes I tried to stay aware of the audience, fiercely observing their reactions and analysing each one.
One of the cast members noted after the show that I seemed to be sweating more than they were, I must admit I was probably more nervous. When you create something and put it out there, it makes you vulnerable, it’s like a little piece of yourself is on display for all to see. I think it is made harder as a director as you have no control over it once it is up there. You aren’t on stage, you can’t control what happens, you have to entrust that the interpreters accurate- ly convey the meaning and everything runs smoothly.
The feedback we received from our work to- gether was immensely promising and we hope that the opportunity will arise to present the work again in the future. I have to admit I am a little addicted now and constantly looking for the opportunity to direct my next project. Such opportunities are invaluable to the con- tinuation and evolution of our industry. The White Nights © White Ensemble, image: A4 Circus generous support of the Australia Council for the Arts, The Foundation for Young Australians and the HotHouse Theatre Company contrib- uted to the realisation of our project. Not to mention the ongoing support from the greater community and the friends and relatives of the performers that helped make the showing a success. The whole experience was a great challenge with a satisfying conclusion, I strongly suggest to anyone interested in directing to get involved and have a go. You will learn as much about yourself as you will about the creation of work. sHOUT_oUT
Dear Mitchell, I enjoyed your letter to ACAPTA questioning where, as you put it, “radical socially transformative politics” fits into circus these days. You are right, that new circus was/and is a product of the cul- ture of its time (as are all cultural movements). I think there were actually three major components that resulted in the development of new circus. One, you have identified - the significant changes in cultural and social values post World War Two. Movements for greater social equity pushed the limits of what was acceptable in society: the feminist movement, the civil rights movement, and the environment movement were all active parts of this great change in what general society deemed as acceptable behaviour. There were more students at university in the sixties and seven- ties than ever before and the big student movements against the Vietnam War and for participa- tory democracy were also really influential. The second major component that formed the new circus came out of the creative response to this need for social change. Experimental performance and rock music led the way in the live arts, flying high in the face of conservatism, modeling alternative life choices, taking performance onto the streets and making music outside the concert hall. Almost all the founders of new circus began their performance lives in alternative theatre groups, looking for ways to communicate their ideas and beliefs to a mass audience. Before Circus Oz in Australia, there was Soapbox Circus, which created a show about the invasion of East Timor in 1975. Before the Big Apple Circus and the Pickle Family Circus in the USA there was the San Francisco Mime Troupe doing shows about racism, war, feminism …you name it, they did it. The new circus founders wanted to work in shows that were as popular as the big rock bands, as much a part of people’s lives as the weekly footy match. They didn’t want to perform in a refined theatre environment where only a ‘cultured’ theatre-going audience could see them, nor did they want to perform to small audiences of radicals – they wanted to perform live, in front of people, lots of people. The circus was a solution. Not only was it a blatantly popular art form, mostly ig- nored or scorned by mainstream theatre at that time, but it also brought its own venue with it. The circus tent solved a problem. It was a venue in which new circus could be raw, rude, and radi- cal. And fun. And make a point about a life lived outside the mainstream. Which is the basis of the third component of new circus. Circus is understood by most people to be ‘outside’ normal life. The circus life represented a roman- tic life, distanced from the normal nine-to-five suburban life. Circus was a place where difference was expected and could be celebrated, or at least embraced. Many of the new circus founders worked with traditional circus to learn the ropes. Before Circus Oz, there was also a group called New Circus, which started by working with Ashtons Circus and Circus Royale before branching out on their own. The circus was a place where the politics of the time could be enacted: women could be strong, collective life could be lived, performed and argued passionately both amongst the circus’ members and the circus’ audience. Of course new circus is longer new, and the political circumstances that the circus finds itself in to- day are not the same as those in the past. Circus is no longer an ‘outside’ art. The audience is more sophisticated, there are many more versions of circus than there used to be and circus artists have more choices of how to work than ever before. Importantly, circus is now significantly embraced by government. It is funded by arts grants. It is supported in circus schools. So the art form has entered a different phase. This is not new, radical art movements generally become accepted into the mainstream. Circus has become an accepted part of the large scale openings of global sports events, circus sells insurance on the television, circus can be bland and also reactionary. Circus can also be maverick, and inspirational; the Tasmanian Circus Festival is one event that springs to mind. It does not receive any government funding; it operates from a strong ethical basis and is an event shared by thousands. Because of the legacy of the start of new circus there is an expectation that circus is able to carry political comment. Any form of art can carry political comment, and I would argue does, but there is an expectation that new circus will carry a particularly progressive political agenda. This political agenda can be expressed either through the performance or through the company’s actions. Australian contemporary circus shows often carry strong political comment. Companies like acrobat are producing poignant political comment. In their show ‘Smaller, Poorer, Cheaper’ the depiction of the place of the artist in contemporary society is a vivid part of the perform- ance. In the physical theatre show ‘Honour Bound’ the portrayal of the institutional promotion of torture by the USA - and by implication Australia – was visually breathtaking. Circus Oz has been very vocal in their support of refugees, and have had long segments of the show devoted to a wry comment on Australian government policy in this area. The Burlesque Hour has continued to explore gender issues within a raucous cabaret framework. Further, the new circus has had, since its beginnings, a relationship with community action. Australia can be proud that the first ever women’s circus group was formed here. I haven’t done the research into the start of youth circus movement, but I would be surprised if Australia did not feature early in this social action as well. Community circus, or to use the North American phrase which has taken precedence – social circus – is a movement in its own right, and it may well be that the next political move for Australian political circus is the creation of a hot Indigenous circus troupe. I hope so, how great would that be? Although there are many dance companies and theatre companies that work with disadvantaged people, circus is the only one to have a movement and an expectation related to the use of the art form to improve social equity. Interestingly, I guess that this is not just to do with the begin- nings of new circus but also due to the global reach of the corporation, Cirque du Soleil, and of its program for disadvantage, Cirque du Monde. I’m not arguing here for the efficacy of this model, simply for its ubiquity. Back to your question, where does “radical socially transformative politics” fit into circus? I think the answer is, everywhere. We are facing an unprecedented global threat in the form of climate change. The community is way ahead of government in its desire for change. Climate change represents the ultimate manifestation of social equity or inequity. There will be winners and los- ers on both the global and the local scale. This is an issue to mobilise around and the potential for renewal in terms of our ethical behaviour and our planet and ….. our life. I believe the circus will be there.
Jane sHOUT_oUT for circus performers and other performance artists...
Dear Gail, I am looking for circus performers and other performance artists – why? Our sweet and gentle 5yr old son, Evan was diagnosed with autism. As his parents, we have been trained in a unique home based program which uses the autistic child’s motivation to build their social skills via the pure energy, excitement and enthusiasm of human interaction. Physical mo- tion and facial expression are key elements in bonding with the child and building a bridge into their world. In the last year Evan has made remarkable progress thanks to our fabulous volun- teers who have come to play with him.
We are excited about Evan’s future and are looking for equally excited volunteers to: - want to put their talents and skills to the ultimate test by engaging and motivating our son to reach his full potential - want to be part of our unique and exciting home-based program - want an opportunity to enrich their life and that of a very special child
Qualifications: - No experience required - we provide training and ongoing feedback - Overcome your inhibitions, practice being present in the moment and have fun. - Weekly commitment required
Are you are a circus artist, musician, dancer or a performer with a community interest or looking fun a different channel to apply your skills, then this volunteer program is made for you! if you are interested, please call Ari on 0414 513 452 or email [email protected] thanks for your help. best wishes Ari image: ARI ©
your acting can change a child’s life!
Evan is our sweet and gentle 5yr old son with a diagnosis of mild autism. In the last year he has made remarkable progress thanks to our fabulous volunteers who have come to play with him.
If you are an actor, comedian or entertainer then this program is made for you! We are looking for volunteers who…
want to put their talents and skills to the ultimate test by engaging and motivating our son to reach his full potential
want to be part of our unique and exciting home-based program
want an opportunity to enrich their life and that of a very special child
Qualifications:
Overcome your inhibitions, practice being present in the moment and have fun
No experience required – we provide training and ongoing feedback
Weekly commitment
Call ARI Call ARI Call ARI Call ARI Call ARI Call ARI Call ARI 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 0414 513 452 hIGH_aLERT
Warehouse 3 | 433 Smith St | Fitzroy VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9482 2088 | Fax: (03) 9489 9711 [email protected] |www.westsidecircus.org.au
Westside Circus provides circus and physical theatre workshops and performances with and for children and young people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds.
Westside Circus opens the City of Melbourne’s Signal Youth Space (24- 27 September) Signal is the new City of Melbourne youth arts space in the centre of town, based in a revamped train signal box. This iconic space will be launched by Westside Circus’ show In My Footsteps in September 2009 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The show will make use of Signal’s fan- tastic surrounding piazza by presenting an outdoor performance which includes an interactive aerial rig and original musical score. The work tells the story of the relationship between a father and child in a journey of love, betrayal and fragility.
New show: Everybody in rehearsal Exciting times in the rehearsal room at Westside with our second professional schools touring show “Everybody” currently in creative development! Director, Colin Sneesby, is shaping circus, gestural performance and puppet-like costumes into a rich visual imagery. With Amnesty Inter- national, as a supporting partner, the performance explores the power of collective story making and myth in shaping our behaviour and attitudes towards others. Inspiration began with Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Everybody is born free and equal in dignity and with rights”.
Westside Circus working with refugee and newly arrived communities
Full of Beans Westside Circus has received a grant from the federal government (FAHCSIA) to work with refu- gee children and their families in the district of Gorton. This project will build on the Full of Beans program based at the West Sunshine Community Centre. Circus and story-making come together, under the direction of community publisher Victoria Ryle, award winning author Martine Murray and Westside’s circus artists Ailsa Wild and Sarah O’Donoghue. The outcome will be a fictional circus book which will encapsulate the stories, ideas and images drawn from local pre-schoolers and their parents who are from newly arrived and culturally diverse backgrounds.
Homecoming This project works with refugee and newly arrived young people from the Western English Lan- guage School, Debney Park Secondary College, new arrivals from the Nth Melbourne / Flemington housing estates and children from the West Sunshine area to promote self-expression through a circus and related arts activity. The project builds confidence in the individuals as well as team- work for the group. Performance outcomes include community festivals, “show & tells” for friends and family and audiences from local schools & groups.
Westside Circus working with Indigenous Communities In the second half of 2009 Westside will focus on two projects with indigenous groups. The Koori Youth Circus (partner Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency) engages with Aboriginal young people and their families in a culturally responsive practice which informs the content of the pro- gram. It is really popular with families because it is respectful and open to the needs of the chil- dren. Moreover, the program fosters confidence through the physical skills learnt in this unique circus experience. Circus with Elders (partner Victorian Aboriginal Health Service) combines phys- iotherapy and circus to develop a program that builds physical strength, promotes better mobil- ity and prevents falls for Aboriginal Elders.
STOP PRESS: On Monday July 27 2009 The Flying Fruit Fly Circus won a prestigious Helpmann Award in The Best Presentation for Children Category for, The PROMISE. ACAPTA congratu- lates all who were involved - a mighty fine effort Fruities! *** Call for emerging companies ***
------CIRCUS WORKS
Independent Circus & Physical Theatre Companies/Ensembles are invited to submit their proposals for consideration in the 2009 Theatre Works Circus Works program. ------
Applications are now open! APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: Friday 28th August
Theatre Works' latest artist support program is an exciting and thrill- filled season showcasing four emerging and highly talented Independent Circus/Physical Theatre companies as they push the VENUE: artistic boundaries by blending traditional circus skills with theatrical Theatre Works storytelling. 14 Acland Street [Cnr St Leonard’s Ave] These artists will flip, fly, twirl, juggle, balance and enthral as they St Kilda perform their breath taking and awe inspiring shows on the Theatre Works stage.
Theatre Works will provide selected companies with the Venue; Circus Aerial Rig and associated safety staff; Publicity; Marketing; Information Packs and Technical, Administrative and Front of house staff support; Project Application forms can Management and ticketing services. now be downloaded off our website; Theatre Works will also hold a Circus Dedicated Speed Dating for Artists networking night on Sunday 13th of December 2009. www.theatreworks.org.au For further information, please contact the SEASON DATES: Operations Manager on Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 12th December 2009 [email protected]
------National Institute of Circus Arts
Hanging out for a career in circus?
Auditions for the 2010 Bachelor of Circus Arts NICA is seeking talented Audition dates are as follows: To apply young people with backgrounds Melbourne Fri 25 Sept www.nica.com.au in physical training such as Entry into NICA’s 3 year Bachelor of Circus Sydney Mon 28 Sept circus, sport, dance, Arts (accredited by Swinburne University of Brisbane Tues 29 Sept gymnastics, Xtreme sport, Perth TBC* Technology) in 2010 is by audition. martial arts, acrobatics, Adelaide TBC* physical theatre, trampoline, Application closing dates Melbourne Sun 11 Oct 4 September 2009 Applicants attending an diving or similar. audition
Applicants must have completed 18 September 2009 DVD applications from Year 12 or equivalent to be * Subject to number of applications received eligible for this program. international and geographically remote applicants National Institute The National Institute of Circus Arts is proudly supported by the Australian Government of Circus Arts 144 High Street, Prahran VIC 3181 Tel +61 3 9214 6975 [email protected] ROLL UP ROLL UP for the ACAPTA ROLL CALL. A big, big THANK YOU goes out to all the following FLIPSIDE kids in Brisbane who have made a donation to ACAPTA – these are the future circus performers of Australia so look out for them and if anyone in Brisbane wants to get involved and support Flipside Circus then just go to their website for details: www.flipsidecircus.org.au
Jean Cotterell Mikayla & Ezekiel Beddall Harriet Curran Bailey Bennett Walt Jackson Webster Curran Lara Berge Anna Davie Kelsey & Ella Berrington Isobel Davies NIna & Phoebe Birskys Morgen Davis Kelsey Booth Bridget De Jong Zahra Boyd Nile De Jonge Chavi Brennan Jack Dean Jessica & Samual Cameron Madison Dennis Alex Carpenter Madeline Dixon Max & Sam Carrick Jaspar Elliot Driml Dylan Carter-Cusack Alexandra Duggan Sarina Castillo Jack Dutton Rhylee Chapman Grace Engwerda Oliver Chapple Rhiannon Monique Ersser Abbey Marta Church London Foreman Emily Clark James Forrest Ruby Clarke Lindsay & Caitlen Fry Sharmini Clerk Gianluca Garozzo Felicity Clifford Isabella Caroline Gifford Grace Cole Hannah,Georgia,Molly Gorman Riley Colquist Jack Gray Kate Cooper Chloe Hannon Tiana Jefferies © Cup in a Tea Storm Circus, Flipside Holly & Jack Hannon Ellen Jenkins - Manning Sam Harbison William Jeremijenko Toby Harris Clare Jones Tilda & Phoebe Higgins - Kelly Oscar Keating Paige Hill Abby Kelso Cassidy & Lucien Hilleard Georgia Knight Isabella Hine Trinity Koch Jack & Luke Hubert Chelsea Konemann Sarah Hunt Cassy Lacombe Jacqui Hurwood Alexander Larder Alana Irvine Jade & Hannah Larsson Laura Jamieson Lilou Lauret Breanna Jarrard Laetitia & Phoebe Leach Holly Ahern Maeve Lejeune Oscar Arnold Jack Lewis Tallulah Baird Kye Lister Julia Lloyd-Smith Savita Sandhu Jaimi Luhrmann Romy Sandison Meka Mackenzie Lukas Schilling Zoe Macourt Malaak Seleem Sally Marquis-Kyle Jalen Shapcott Gerramy Marsden Gaia Smedts Kira Martin Anna Smith Kathleen McCosker Eugenie Smith Caitlin,Isabelle,Eri McGrath Jarrod Smith Ruby McIntosh Nathan Smith Sage McKenzie - Boshoff Caley Springall Elkie & Riley McKenzie Cutlen Keelan Stack Alexandra Mclaughlan Georgia Starky Heidi McLaughlin Caelyn Starrenburg Jordie McLeish Julia Storer Anna Meland Adam & William Strom Noah,Theo & Gabriel Milbourne Sara Tait Dylan Mills Alex & Claudia Talbot Ruby Mineur Harry Tan Rhett & Taijla Morrow Liam Tempelman Julia Morwood Jospheine Theile Ella Moseley Alida Thistlethwaite Niamh Mouncey Sophie & Courtney Thomas Julien Neall Katerina Tooth Sisi Nicholson Curran Laurelle Rose Tracey Georgina & Robert Osborn David Trappes
Roll Up or Run Away? © Away? Up or Run Roll Circus, Flipside Hannah Parente Charlotte Trevaskes Ella Patrick Adam Tuohy Afton & Lindsey Paul Lily Vandersee-Guerin Olivier Peake Carissa Vannucci Sian & Rhys Phillips Abbie Walker Luka Phoenix Nicholas Ward Kate Pierce Alexander Weckes-Huck Nick Piper Sabrina & Sean Weier Sally (Mr) Pordage Brittany Wiggins Zac Prince Ayesha Winton Francesca Quadrio Phoebe Wood Hannah & Jessica Radvan Leo & Penelope Woodfield Gina Ramsay Lucy Wright Jorgia AemeliaConnor Riley Munroe Sophie Wright Lilyana Roset Morgan Youngberry-Walsh Jessica Ryan Isabelle Zendler Lucy Rykers Ava Zoete Alysa Samios Isabella Zust-Sullivan Ryla Sanders Wall
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