Perth Voice Interactive

IT’S at least 40 degrees outside, the concrete and asphalt on Victoria Quay pushing the mercury a few notches above the Met Bureau’s prediction, while inside Fremantle Ports’ old mechanical workshop it feels like being in an internal combustion engine.

Despite these sweltering conditions, a young circus troupe is leaping, tumbling, climbing and flying through a blistering performance of CircusWA’s Eclipse for a select audience. 

The drenching sweat leaves no doubt of how hard they’re being pushed, and as the narrative reaches its denouement you can’t help but marvel as eastern states performer Chris Higgins balances two of the youngsters he’s here to inspire on his broad shoulders – one above the other. How he can still take a breath is a mystery, but these guys are committed.

It’s not a production, but a “showing” that CircusWA’s artistic director Jo Smith admits she hopes might be a little “nudge” for political parties leading up to the March state election, given the conditions it’s being performed in. The audience has to shift rooms no less than four times to keep up with the work.

That’s because CircusWA still doesn’t have a permanent home, and with its big top on Princess May Park reaching the end of its life, crunch time is looming.

“It’s really highlighting that CircusWA is alive and well, and we’re punching above our weight,” Ms Smith says of Tuesday’s performance.

“CircusWA is actually creating, making, delivering extraordinary things.

“And then look at the venues they have to work in to create and make this astounding work. 

“What message does that send to our young people, to our young emerging artists, and to our community, about what we think about young people, about youth, about youth arts.”

Back at Princess May another seam on the big top is coming apart and threatening to split all the way to the top within 24 hours, forcing an expensive and time-consuming pull-down.

“So this will be the fourth time in three months,” Ms Smith says.

“It costs about $2500 each time to lower it down, glue it up, and put it back up.”

It’s money and time the company doesn’t really have.

CircusWA had been hoping to land the renovated C-Shed on Vic Quay as a new home, and got as far as discussing their needs with Fremantle Ports’ engineer and having a five-year deal within their grasp, when suddenly it was taken off the table last year, the Chook hearing the sticking point being “risk appetite”.

Ms Smith says other options, such as the Midland Railyards, a site in Cockburn Central or alongside the WA Academy of Performing Arts in its proposed CBD campus, also came to nothing so they accepted the Ports’ workshops just to have something.

Despite the setbacks, CircusWA also has also managed to create a show that debuts in Fringe World’s Spiegeltent this weekend.

The Raft comes out of a CircusWA program to support emerging directors, featuring Fremantle-based 20-somethings Ella Norton and Mackenzie Brown.

It’s a youthful look at the state of our environment.

“It’s absurdist, mad circus and physical theatre with a very, very strong subtext, which is global warming and wealth disparity, but it will make you laugh the whole way through,” Ms Smith says.

“Environment is kind of our theme at the moment.”

It’s a key element of Eclipse, which starts in a dystopian world cluttered with rubbish and antipathy, but ultimately emerges as a salute to youthful hope.

The show was developed and an early iteration performed during Covid, but with strife engulfing the world in the last year, it’s message is important to the current performers such as Archie Ryan. He says they spoke about their view of the world before tackling the work.

“When we had that discussion, a few of us shared the opinion that we wouldn’t reach this better future within our own lifetime,” Archie says.

“I held onto that belief as well a little bit, but through doing this work, because it is so hopeful, it kind of germinates that seed.

“I now feel a tiny bit more hopeful for the future.”

Ms Smith says its a work of national importance, the threadbare nature of this week’s performance notwithstanding, and she’s hopeful that at some point they’ll get the opportunity to tour the eastern states.

by STEVE GRANT