The production of ‘Circus 1903’ began; lavish, spectacular in its scope. Circus magic, the charismatic ringmaster David Williamson assures us, “is different to any other kind of magic”.
There is an immediate juxtaposition of the grandeur and solemnity of the venue, the famed Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, with the jubilation and anticipation of the crowd. The Ringmaster produced old-timey bags of popcorn which he proceeded to throw over the crowd. Children wriggled with delight and clapped their sticky hands. The grown-ups, perceptibly engaged, leant forward and strapped themselves in for a night of undoubtable action and adventure. It does not disappoint.
‘Circus 1903’ debuted at the Opera House in 2016. The return to its stages leapfrogs from a worldwide tour, a Las Vegas residency, LA, New York, and four sold-out seasons in London. It is a resounding collaboration between some of the great artisans of circus production, featuring an original score by Evan Jolly, who composed for Netflix's ‘The Crown’ and DC's ‘Aquaman’. The costumes were created by designer Angela Aaron, already world-renowned for her work on Cirque de Soleil's ‘Mad Apple’. Producer Tim Lawson catapults the return of this lavish production to Sydney and Melbourne. He continues to progress and innovate staging for The Works Entertainment, with an impressive array of past performances that include ‘Le Grande Cirque’, ‘Cirque Adrenaline’, ‘Le Noir’ and ‘The Illusionists’.
His intention for the production was clear.
Image © Ken Leanfore
“. . .We wanted to make a legitimately amazing circus with incredible acts, awe-inspiring animals, side-splitting comedy and the decadence, grandeur and showmanship that for us at least, is the heartbeat of any show.”
This was a valiant display of the immense and ultimate trust that performers and staging technicians place in each other in order to play out these death-defying feats. The aerials and the acrobatics.
There was an immaculate choreography; the dance of engineering and expertise, and those elements which go largely unseen: the rigging, the transmission of the sound, the production of props and costumes, always moving, always transitioning across the stage. All of these elements were executed with ease and fluidity, and powerfully underlined the spectacularity of the show.
It is impossible to complete this review without a nod to the masterful puppetry, the scale and dexterity of the of the animals performed by the collective known for the intricacy and ease of their work on ‘War Horse’. The agility of motion and ease of collective movement was astounding.
Image © Ken Leanfore
Producer Tim Lawson expresses a reverence for the ethereal elephants, and the puppetry points to the changing perceptions and processes around the use of live animals in the circus.
“While attitudes to animal welfare have thankfully progressed considerably, one can still imagine how wondrous it must have been to live in a small town and have the circus arrive and see for the very first time a gigantic African elephant and her calf.”
Step right up.
