Company 2 soak the Judy with their signature blend of 'Scotch & Soda' this November.
Channelling the atmosphere of a rowdy speakeasy from a foregone era, this scrumptious cocktail of daring circus, theatrical twists, gypsy-soaked sound and party vibes features some of Australia's most thrilling (and cheeky) acrobats.
Review of 'Scotch & Soda' from September, 2014.
The leading misfits of Company 2, Chelsea McGuffin and David Carberry will be joined by The Uncanny Carnival Band. The whiskey-infused night is guaranteed to have audiences ruckusing as hard as the performers. Musical Director Lucian McGuinness and Chelsea shared a few brews over a chat:
Where you little rascals in your youth?
Chelsea: Depends who you ask, I guess. I would say I was pretty good at covering up what I really got up too. But my parents might say something very different? I was a very dedicated ballet student so spent a lot of hours in the studio which didn't leave a lot of time for messing up. David was a rascal! Country boy always looking for trouble.
Lucian: No doubt some of us were. I definitely wasn't. At least, that's how I picture myself; sure, I set fire to some places and crashed some other things but my grandma always said I had good manners.
Worst injury from your childhood and adulthood? C: No childhood injuries for me. I did tear my ACL last year which was very distressing but all good now. David broke his elbow diving through a hoop in a circus performance and got stuck! It was not a good accident, landed badly wedged in a hoop and in front of a crowd. Off to hospital while the the show carried on.
L: I don't habitually expose myself to risky situations. Ironically I once fractured several major bones falling off a stage. The aforementioned crashes had consequences too.
What did your family say when you said you were joining the circus?
C: 'We paid all that money for you to do ballet and you are joining the circus?' 'Don't become the tattooed lady'. David's family signed him off to keep him off the streets.
L: Something conveying happy jealousy! And relief I had chosen the relative stability and security of circus over the precariousness of modern jazz.
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Most rewarding part of the job?
C: Doing what we love every day of the week.
L: Meeting exuberant and satisfied audience members on the way out after the show, and seeing the great faces they unwittingly pull during a show.
You saturate the ambiance of every show with a rowdy speakeasy, do you have experience to draw upon for this?
C: I guess we draw from the great circus and music parties we have had, friends and festivals we have spent time with and the idea of what a great rough and ready bush speakeasy might be like. The music brings such an energy to the show that will get anyone ready for a rowdy good time.
L: You know I am never really sure what a speakeasy actually is, apart from a dodgy place to drink. I've been to a lot of pubs and bars, though none were illegal, as far as I know. I have another show with 'speakeasy' in the title which I guess in a similar way represents an idea of what I'd like a speakeasy to be, should I ever be in control of one.
How do you take your scotch? C: Me with soda or on the rocks. David takes it either way depending on his mood.
L: With a liberal splash of soda!
Do the band prefer their drinks pre, during or post-show?
C: Post-show is a must for anything that involves circus, small stage, lots of people and an audience. We all enjoy a post-show drink.
L: I suspect any real drinking before the show would quickly end more than a few acrobatic careers.
Do you tweak the show while on the road? How much has the structure changed since touring? C: We sure do. On the road is where the show really begins to find its feet. The structure mostly stays the same once you know the order is right but we are always refining. We are in a great place now after a number of seasons where we really know what we want from the show and have a bit of time before Brisbane to rewrite. Lucian is bringing lots of new music to the Brisbane season which means new acts, new moments and new journeys to be found. We like to leave a element of the show up for improvisation too.
L: All the time! I think acrobats and musicians from backgrounds like ours are not accustomed to setting performances in stone, and of course if there's a chance to adapt to a new skill, or tweak a musical number, or improvise something new just for fun, we'll take it on immediately.
Does it make concentrating harder when there are people clapping and cheering? Or does it drive you to push harder?
C: Drives you! The audience can make a show or break it. We rely on their energy and generosity to build the show. The more clapping and cheering in this show is IDEAL!
L: The more positive energy from the audience, the better we all perform. Mostly that energy manifests as whoops, calls and applause, but sometimes an intense hushed silence can be just as provoking.
Is this a family-friendly show?C: Yes is it. It wasn't made for children and has a few adult themes, but on the most part we have lots of people so keen to being there kids along.
L: There are a few glimpses of privates in asexual contexts, but no inappropriate representations of the ilk that make their way into Abercrombie & Fitch catalogues and 'Bond' movies.
Will Mozes' diaper be properly secured this time?
L: I would hope that Mozes' has learned from past experience, act his age and do us all favour by ensuring nothing like that ever happens again.
Will Roxy be a part of this show now that she's been around for a year? What is her role?
C: That is the hope. Roxy has been building her tricks and hoping to make the cut :)
L: That's a good question, best answered by Chelsea. Perhaps Roxy can fulfill some kind of incentivising role to encourage the birds to always be on their best behaviour!
And what about the birdies, how do you train them to be on their best behaviour? What happens when they aren't?
C: I don't really know. I hope for the best every night. It seems to be working but has it's moments.
'Scotch & Soda' performs the Judith Wright Centre 18-21 and 26-28 November.
