I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to see the NICA Circus Showcase, having been wowed last year by the talent and sheer strength of the students in ‘One False Move’.
The form of this year’s show was very different, structured into two different performances, ‘Rouge’ and ‘Blanc’ playing on alternate nights. Both directed by Head of Performance Megan Jones, the evening I went it was Blanc’s turn. The two cabaret style performances showcase a variety of skills and students, from the hula-hoops to the aerial cube, aerial straps to the Chinese pole.
The mood of the performance is instantly set as guests are seated at cocktail tables, with dim lights. The stage is set with sparkles and glitz and performers wander round the audience, giving a taste of what is to come.
MC Aurora Kurth is fantastic as our French hostess ‘Lola’ and immediately sets the sultry and seductive tone of the evening as she prepares us to witness the dark side – the “underbelly” – of circus. Her voice and stage presence are powerful and demand attention, and she is great at tying the individual acts together as well as providing comic relief – and yes there is audience interaction!
The whole ensemble gives impressive performances, but there were definitely two standouts. Yonnas Gebremedhin’s hilarious and exciting turn on the unicycles of all sizes is a brilliant piece of circus that perfectly combines skills with entertainment. William Meager’s strong performance using just a table and chair keeps the audience literally on the edge of their seat, but the real star for me was Lucas Simonds. Simple and raw, his performance on the aerial straps is nothing short of breathtaking. While some acts use of music and lighting is almost a little distracting, Simonds demonstrates that you don’t always need flashy props to deliver a powerful performance. The incredible strength he demonstrated encouraged audible gasps for the audience, and dressed en blanc he was the most striking of the night.
While there was no narrative linking the pieces together, the cabaret style of the evening was diverse and entertaining, and proved once again the perfect opportunity to witness first hand the supremely talented students NICA continues to produce. While I only saw ‘Blanc’, I would be very interested to compare the two, which is why if you have the chance, I say go and see both!
Circus Showcase 2014: ‘ROUGE et BLANC’
Until 5 July 2014
NICA National Circus Centre
39-59 Green Street, Prahan
Rouge: Thursday 3rd July 7:30pm, Friday 4th July 1:30pm, Saturday 5th July 7:30pm
Blanc: Friday 4th July 7:30pm, Saturday 5th July 1:30pm
A range of tickets are available, visit www.nica.com.au to book.
