Twisting and turning its way into the Judith Wright Centre in December is a whimsical, wonderful tale about being a kid in a place full of big highs and even bigger lows.
'A Little Wonder' by Circa Zoo primarily features acrobatics and circus art, communicating the complexity of the mind of a child living in today's world. Training Centre Director Bree LeCornu has been hard at work choreographing and workshopping with the show's cast – a group of kids between 9 and 19 – in order to create a production that rings true to the youth of today.
“It's 14 young artists, and the journey that the 9-year-old experiences to get to the 19-year-old,” Bree says. The young performers acrobatically communicate life's struggles throughout the show, proving it to be relevant and relatable to audiences of all ages. “When you go through a growth spurt, your body goes all out of whack and you start losing strength, so it's based on that.”
The main theme of the show is about trusting not only yourself but those around you. There's a relationship between young and old that represents real-life human connections, and being inspired by those who have walked the challenging road to success and happiness before you.
The cast have been working hard over the last year, meeting up to 3 times a week for 5 hours at a time – with a 20-minute break per session to catch their breath. It doesn't sound like much time for a breather, but Bree says the young cast is extremely persistent and cooperative.
“They're a really motivated, committed group, so it makes it a lot easier,” she laughs. “And it's not just like four of them, all fourteen really love it.
“If they can learn to control their energy for five hours and still be walking by the end of it, then I think that's quite an amazing thing for a young child to learn.”
© Jeff CamdenBree believes the diverse range of kids in the group means the young ones are able to look up to the more experienced cast members, so they have an idea of where they're heading in the future.
“It's way easier than working with a group of kids that are all just ten years old,” she says. “They'd have no inspiration or aspirations about where they need to be.”
She's aware that not all the kids in her group will continue with acrobatics, but she says the skills learnt within Circa Zoo are important. “A lot of them don't just do circus, they have other commitments and other support... We try and guide them as much as we can in the right direction.”
Bree has a long-winded history with the wonders of acrobatics, dating back to 2002 when she spent 9 years with the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, touring Australia before heading to Canada. Post-Fruit Fly graduation, Bree continued her talents non-stop and says being in charge of something is a new and uncharted experience.
“I've learned a lot. I'm the one directing, and I'm making the final choices which I struggled with at the start, but in the end it's like 'you need to make these decisions, if this act isn't working then change it'.”
Bree's transition from the taught to the teacher is almost a metaphor for the story of the show; a child making her way through life, finally reaching the top only to share her experience with the younger generation.
'A Little Wonder' is a show interwoven with theatre, dance and circus, featuring hula hoops, hand stands, double trapeze, and even juggling. It's a broad display of physically demanding choreography that will resonate with anyone who faced struggles growing up, and let's face it – who didn't?
'A Little Wonder' performs at the Judith Wright Performing Arts Centre 9-11 December.
