Tolu @ Adelaide Fringe Review

Tolu @ Adelaide Fringe
Our eclectic team of writers from around Australia – and a couple beyond – with decades of combined experience and interest in all fields.

When there are so many circus offerings during Fringe, how is one to decide which to see?


It can seem a bit overwhelming with so many talented individuals who put your impressive 10 pull-ups to shame descend on the East End. No sweat though! Casus Circus has you covered. Just one of the delicious shows the Brisbane circus troupe has on offer is ‘Tolu’. Playing out in The Factory in The Garden of Unearthly Delights, this beautiful piece of circus strips back the genre from any flashy in-your-face thrills, instead giving its audience a delightful show about the childlike wonder of exploring.

The circus group aims to create an ‘intimate, human circus… from a place of heart’ and 'Tolu' captures this ethic. With their school polos buttoned up and their backpacks on, acrobats Lachlan McAuley, Jesse Scott and Abby Church embody three young characters – even their lunch boxes are packed with the items to excitedly swap. We see the desire to explore through these characters, watching as mundane childlike games become a set-up for some incredible circus acts.

What really catapults 'Tolu' ahead of other circus shows you might see this Fringe, is the soundtrack and the way it smoothes the flow of the show. The detail in the choreography is jaw-droppingly impressive. Every moment has been so carefully designed, with many hours and talent poured into excecution. A trapeze will never be looked at quite the same after seeing what Jesse Scott can do. These acrobats are flawless in execution, creating original routines with the familiar circus fare of a skipping rope, trapeze and hula hoops.

The chemistry between the performers is what makes 'Tolu' so delightful. They’re having as much fun as the audience and it adds to the overall feel. It entices you to check out Casus Circus’ second circus show, 'Knee Deep', to see what they have to offer in terms of an amped-up, adult show.

'Tolu' strikes a cord with all ages because we can all recall the curiosity to explore and play we felt as children. Four out of five flying hula hoops.

'Tulo' performs The Garden of Unearthly Delights until 28 February as part of Adelaide Fringe Festival which runs until 14 March.

Written by Chloe Eckert

Let's Socialise

Facebook pink circle    Instagram pink circle    YouTube pink circle    YouTube pink circle

 OG    NAT

Twitter pink circle    Twitter pink circle