On Tuesday I found myself in quite a predicament. I’d lined up a first date with just about the loveliest lady a dating app could ever hope to show me, and I was also asked to review a show at QPAC that very same evening. First dates are risky enough, and I never thought I’d be asking a girl if she’d like to go and see a Baroque orchestra performing songs from the 17th century while circus performers demonstrated incredible feats of strength and athleticism, as an internationally renowned Soprano sang ghostly melodies from a swing suspended over the stage.
But that’s exactly what I did, and that’s exactly what we saw. English Baroque with Circa features the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra performing enchanting and often haunting music from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries on traditional instruments. Never seen a lute before? You’re in for about three of them. Never heard someone really knock it out of the park on a harpsichord? You’ve got a thing or two coming your way.
And while the Brandenburg players are neatly parted to the sides of the stage, the show centres around the members of the Circa Contemporary Circus. Seven unbelievably talented performers blurred the lines between dance, theatre, circus, and gymnastics, bewitching the audience in time with music that carried us to balmy evenings in stately English gardens. Weaving through the performance was Jane Sheldon’s ghostly soprano, at times bringing us down to earth, at others, transporting us through time and space.
Throughout the show each circus performer took a solo, showing off their myriad skills. Each drew gasps from the audience, applause, often laughter. From astonishing balancing acts to skilful juggling routines, each one showcased such a creative approach to the drama of circus performance, a credit to the performers and director Yaron Lifschitz’ vision, it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
The highlight of the show came during one of these solos. Circa member Noah Nielsen was given the stage. With nothing but a diablo - a large yo-yo suspended between a long, double handled string - he kept the audience spellbound for what could have been five minutes, or could have been an hour. With grace and athleticism we were drawn into a complex and beautiful routine that played with suspense and drama in a way that had the audience hushed, then cheering.
The evening was wonderful. It was like being transported to an English village at a time when science, magic, dance, and music were being blended together for the entertainment of the villagers. This travelling troupe of artists and entertainers made us wonder at the world and the secrets across the horizon. Suffice it to say, we’re locked in for date number two.
21 May, 2019
Concert Hall, QPAC
Tom Kakanis