The wonderful wizards of Circus Oz

Circus OZ is a testament to the flexibility, strength and endurance of the human body.

It is justifiably proud of the fact that it, with it’s animal free focus on human physicality it was most probably the inspiration for the internationally acclaimed Cirque de Soleil.

The circus’s visuality (even apart from the athleticism of it’s performers) is the perfect subject for a movie. The have performed in tin sheds in remote Australian communities to a glass concert hall in the Brazilian rain forest.

The new show is called Steampowered and is a mix of what old Victorian society would be like if they were to make technology from what resources were available to them at that time, so for example we see lap tops made of rusty springs.

While the program itself focuses on the necessity being the mother of Victorian invention the same skills are mirrored in the communities Circus Oz visits.
Performer Paul O’Keefe told me of the ingenuity evident in some of Australia’s most remote regions, of kids getting to the bare minimum of a mattress, the spring wear into the sand dunes and using this as a makeshift trampoline. Similarly the humble fitness ball gets similar treatment deflated, planted and pounded upon, not that these lithe children need the exercise but instead to showcase their incredible athletic skills.

Circus Oz is a show that continually evolves with each performance so, after many performance around Australia notched up, it will be at an evolutionary peak when it arrives in Tassie on October 26.

Paul has happy memories of former visits to Tasmania and recalls travelling here not with the circus but with a puppet show.

Paul is an all round circus performer, he and his sister caught the bug early and both studied the discipline, (as circus most assuredly is), his sister making an exit for the safer (some might argue not so) realm of motherhood and family life.

Paul is still the enigma, the quiet spoken gentle daredevil revelling in the excitement and risky atmosphere of the modern day circus. he is qualified in acrobatics, ariel, juggling, and puppetry just as his colleagues are able to extend their flexibility to encompass a variety of skills. Circus Oz is strong on equality and though each member can shine in a particular skill they can all do a bit of everything. even the band take their stint in the main circus arena, if that is not enough many members of the troupe have varying degrees of skill in music and take their turn making music. Paul’s instrument of choice is the trumpet and it is ironic that this accomplished circus performer is more likely to fret over remembering his music than on anything associated with the risky physical routines he accomplishes.

One of the words that holds deep resonance among the group is trust. the group are bound together like a family and rely on each other for more than moral support. To be able to trust in the other’s ability to be there to literally ‘catch’ you is paramount.

But its not all serious at the circus, far from it , it’s an exhilarating high energy event that seeks to communicate with its audience, the great joy meeting the fans in the foyer and hopefully at the end of the show discovering some new converts have been claimed.

The experience that is Circus Oz will be performing at the Theatre Royal on:
Wednesday 26 October at 7.30pm
Thursday 27 October at 7.30pm
Friday 28 October at 7.30pm
Saturday 29 October at 1.30pm & 7.30pm
Paula Xiberras