Catherine Wait, or Missy, is an extremely talented circus and physical theatre performer, and will be putting a stamp on her new work 'Love, Loss and Lattes' during Sydney Fringe Festival.
Catherine has taken a leap of faith with the show, which takes a look into the relatable rituals of coffee drinking, and how the simple activity of drinking a coffee is often paired with many moments in one’s life, including those that are happy and sad. “This show uses physical movement to explore how coffee accompanies moments in life, whether it be through heartbreak, sadness, joy or even just with friends,” Catherine says.
She communicates her idea through the use of the exciting and daring elements of acrobatics, circus elements and everything that encompasses physical theatre that will bring the audience on a relatable, semi-autobiographical journey of one woman’s love of drinking coffee. The concept of creating the show around the rituals of coffee drinking is one that Catherine says developed over time. "It was a really long process. I had the idea but wasn't confident that I could put a whole show together. Using the apparatuses is really strenuous so putting a whole show together was daunting," she says. “I set myself little five or ten minute tasks and then I decided that I've gotta do this and put on a 40 minute show. I proved to myself that I could do this, and that it was what I wanted to do."
Catherine's decision to create her own show is a process that she has thoroughly enjoyed. "I enjoyed all the aspects of creating this show, everything from the initial idea, to figuring out what will happen physically, to picking the music that'll fit with the piece. The whole thing is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. I enjoy taking something from the concept stage to performing it," she says. “Being able to create my own show around aerial performance is such a joy for me. It gives me such freedom and I can really connect to the audience through the use of physicality.”
Catherine has performed at multiple festivals including the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and will return to the Sydney Fringe Festival. When asked what she loves about performing at festivals, her answer was filled with passion: “I love performing at fringe festivals as they are really centred around artists that are really trying to put out new and exciting work without having the support system of big companies,” Catherine says. “The audiences are always amazing. They really get behind the acts by being so open to the work, it’s fantastic!”
Although Catherine has been a long time performer, she still feels nerves before each show. “I’ve never had no nerves. I've either got butterflies of excitement or anxious nerves that can be an obstacle if you don't learn how to deal with them. For me, I have found a way to harness the nervous energy and put it into the performance," she says. "I think having nerves is a good thing, for me it means I care about what I'm doing and I love what I'm doing."
