'Driftwood' is a work by Casus Circus that is adrift from the acrobatic mainstream.
Performers huddle beneath a single lamp, not a dazzling lighting rig; acrobats sit in naked silence, as they gaze into the eyes of the audience members seated around the rectangular stage, rather than fill dead air with confected emotion. It is an amalgam of circus and modern dance, with choreography reminiscent of the contact improvisation art form. It is the sublime and ineffable poetry of the human form.
By creating an atmosphere of delicate intimacy, by eliminating the dividing line between watcher and watched, the wonder felt by the witnessing of the physical feats is left unadulterated. Acrobats spin like inverted ballerinas from the trapeze, limbs contort, joints dislocate; in it all there is danger and balance. A lady seated next to me uttered her first “wow” 30 seconds into the show and was rarely silent for the duration.
It is a work of proud Australian heritage, featuring music by Gotye and compositions that integrate Indigenous Australian instrumentation. On some occasions, the theatrical and comedic moments in the piece fail to land, or land with a thud; with the circus skills, though, the five performers have the surest of footing.
★★★★☆
