I spoke to Joshua Phillips. one of the quartet from ‘Pants Down Circus’ … and before you think that name indicates something about the tone of the show, Josh told me it was just ‘a ridiculous name’ that would be ‘memorable and a bit misleading’ that the group picked for it’s … um … shock factor!
Josh has been to Tasmania twice before to take part in the circus festival formerly held in Launceston and he’s very excited about visiting again, this time with his independently-managed group of artists who are responsible for their creative content and tour most of the year when not busy in Melbourne.
Not everything about the circus is light-hearted and fun; there is a serious side. Josh admits that performing is ‘exhausting’ and made more so by the fact one must be continually ‘switched on’ and ‘focused’ because of the dangerous risk of some of the performance pieces.
Josh is well qualified for this profession; he has an advanced bachelor degree in Circus Arts, which itself is fascinating; for instance, the criteria for getting into one of these courses is three pronged for potential students, who are tested on their ‘tumbling ability’ ‘flexibility’ and ‘strength component’. It’s something akin to a ‘boot camp’ says Josh.
Josh says the course comprises intense training in acrobatics and balancing ladder as well as dance and business classes.
In his down time (pardon the pun) Josh returns to his pre-circus potential career of furniture making. In many ways it is an extension of his career in the circus in that it also requires him to use his hands and he even manages to use this additional skill to make some of his circus props!
You can see ’Pants Down Circus’ at the Theatre Royal on 10th – 11th April.
Paula Xiberras
