Opus, State Theatre, Saturday 18th October 2014

Opus, State Theatre, Saturday 18th October 2014

"Opus" is a collaboration between Circa and the Debussy String Quartet and presented as part of the Melbourne Festival.

Yaron Lifschitz from Circa directed this fantastic show that showcased some great musicians and circus performers.

The thrills and build up is what was lacking from "Cirkopolus".  Even though some of the acts in "Opus" were not as polished they were better choreographed for a build up of tension and drama.  The thrills and spills made it more real and the audience appreciated the reality checks.

This fine ensemble are pictured on the Circa website.  I understand the cost and space limitations of not having the cast photos in the programme, but what a shame as it adds to the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  It is such a good talking point to be able recognise a particular performer or act in the programme.
 

There were numerous hula hoop acts running through "Opus".   Occasionally we were treated to a pas de deux of either a single or multiple hula hoops.  Tumbling and acrobatic tricks through, up and under the hoops added to the suspense.  Occasionally there were some near misses or misses but these added to the spectacular timing, skill and accuracy of these performers.

The Aerial Straps was performed by Daniel O'Brien.  He has a beautiful line and fine musicality in his lyrical performance.  He demonstrated power, strength and artistry in this difficult act.  He had the audience oohing and ahhing at his stillness, presages, falls and other tricks. 

Talking of which - the audience's reactions and the connection by the ensemble with the audience was more prominent than with "Cirkopolus".   Even though "Cirkopolus" had cleaner lines and more precision in some aspects, "Opus" provided a more circus feel by building the suspense and engagement with the audience.  The overall direction and choreography of "Opus" with such a blank stage was more satisfying and thrilling than "Cirkopolus" which had all of the multi-media.
 

The acrobatics and tumbling was a constant show stopper.  The choreography was tight and kept us involved.  Fabulous examples of many different types of tumbles and falls.  They formed three tier tower like structures and leaning tower like structures.  One man stood on another's shoulders and they leant so far forward that they dropped into a forward roll that received a thunderous round of applause.  The tumbling and acrobatics were so engaging.

 

During the Contortionist routine where she was carried off stage reminded me of the true story from Gary Jennings' book "Spangle" where a contortionist died on stage and was carried off stage by clowns.  This moment paid so much homage to this true story.  The contortionists here were magnificent in their dexterity but also their choreographic fluidity. 

The trapeze act by Jessica Connell (?) involved a lot of heaving, grunting and grinding.  I wanted to see more grace, elegance and ethereal lightness that is associated with the trapeze.  As one of my 78 year old circus/trapeze friends said "she loved the beauty of the trapeze."  Here we could see effort.  That did not bother me too much as it requires such skill and strength.  What bothered me was that I wanted a bit more stillness to savour the shapes and the aplomb to finish each sequence - the old fashioned "ta da" poses.  Her performance was thrilling, exciting and assured.

During the trapeze act a male performer was upstage left creating contortionist poses.  This seemed a bit incongruous and distracting from her act.

Four performers supported the leg of a chair.  Michael Standen (?)  performs a chair balancing act with fine precision.  Has this chair been specially strengthened to bear the weight load?  I am fascinated and love the choreography as he keeps us in suspense for his next move.

There was a sequence with a lot of swinging people around.  At times it was like juggling people.  This was such a thrilling segment and the music supported it by making it more so.  This sequence had so much fun and frivolity and really played with our emotions.

Adagio  and Hand-to-hand routines were interspersed throughout the show.  There was some shaking at times but this adds to the excitement.  It was great to see the same sex couples doing some adagio work also.  Particularly the women as it appears more impressive with the supposed delicate nature of some females.  Do not be fooled as these are amazon women.

A lone runner does the vaudeville running act and trips and falls and picks himself up.  A curtain appears billowing low across the stage.  The ensemble are revealed in various upside down poses.  This becomes a handstand and hand-balancing routine.  It could also be similar to some break dancing at times.  They reminded me of the trees: where Snow White was running through the woods in the first "Disney On Parade."   This was an enduring memory of my childhood theatre experience.  The choreographic image of upside down tree-like shapes cements the memory of "Opus" further.

Acrobatic basing to me means the strong man/woman who supports the others above. They are like the foundations or the base of many multi-tiered routines.  They stand their ground and support those above them.  The men were very good at this and did have the occasional shake.  This adds to the tension building drama and the thrills of the ride for us as viewers.

The Debussy String Quartet played with such passion and moved around with such confidence. It was great to see them all wearing blacks unlike the concert last Wednesday.  The music by Shostakovich lends itself to such a theatrical event.  At times it was thrilling and created suspense and drama. 
 

The musicians were blindfolded for quite an extended period of time.  They played with such skill as they were moved around the stage by cast members.   At times a violinist could be carried or put off balance and still played with such security - and reminded me of the band playing during the sinking of the Titanic.  He would play to the bitter end.  The cellist was moved too and due to the nature of the instrument was a bit more restricted in how they moved him.  Still it added to the sense of accomplishment, skill and teamwork.
 

Overall a very satisfying circus experience.  More so because of the humanity of the occasional spill or near miss.  I loved the warts and all approach as it was not a clinical production.  This production had an honesty about the vulnerability of being a circus performer and a musician.  There was so much suspense and drama that I watched many of the audience on the edge of their seats.  That was a true connection with the audience.  This was theatre that created involvement and an emotional response.

Note: forgive me if the names are wrong as I tried to put faces to the names above from Circa's website.

Cirkopolis, Cirque Eloize, State Theatre, Friday October 10th 2014

Cirkopolis, Cirque Eloize, State Theatre, Friday October 10th 2014

At the opening night performance of "Cirkopolis" by Circus Eloize three mobile phones  (in Row B in the stalls) were used during the performance.  Only one was caught by the ushers.  Apparently the violator was trying to film the performance.

Interestingly these fine performers dropped the batons twice during the ensemble juggling act.  Even though these performers may not have shown to us the obvious look of distraction, my concern is for their safety and the welfare of the performers. 

During a few of the other tumbling acts there were some stumbles and near misses with catches.  Were these as a result of the distracting lights from the mobile phones?

Mobile phone issues:

The announcement by Arts Centre Melbourne states to turn your mobile phones to silent.  This is not appropriate as the phones light up and cause a peripheral vision distraction.

There was a separate announcement made by Cirque Eloize stating to turn off mobile phones. Why not have a consistent message to say turn them off?

Both need to explain that it is distracting for not only the audience members, but it is a major safety hazard for the performers.

Using mobile phones and other electronic devices can be distracting for other patrons.  It is also rude and invasive.  Their behaviour shows a lack of care for those around them. (See the article in the October 12th 2014 Sunday Age about FOMO = Fear of missing out.)

Enough of my whinge!

Review:
 
"Cirkopolis" by Circus Eloize was presented as part of the Melbourne Festival.  The Artistic Director of the Melbourne Festival, Josephine Ridge announces that "We also bring you a special focus on the changing world of circus - an art form in motion, in which Melbourne excels."
 
We were so fortunate to see Circus Eloize and their unique style of presentation of "Cirkopolis"  which is inspired by Fritz Lang's film "Metropolis." From the opening sequence of a man sitting behind a desk with his back to the audience we were instantly welcomed into a world of deskbound drudgery.  He sat stamping papers as more papers would arrive with a parade of grey trench coats walking back and forth. He juggled the papers in piles and for some reason I was expecting more.
 
"Cirkopolis" is directed by Dave St-Pierre and Jeannot Painchaud. What I loved was this constant theme honouring "Metropolis" throughout the show.  Behind was the black and white video projection that created a sense of space, location and atmosphere. Robert Massicotte is a genius with his clever stage designs and video projections as they transformed us, but did not overtake the action of the performers. 

The opening tumbling act across the table was one of the most magical aspects of the show.  Even though I may have seen some more spectacular tumbling sequences in other circuses, I adored the choreography and the theatricality of the staging.
 
The Cyr Wheel was brilliantly performed by Lea Toran Jenner who made this large hula-hoop dance by itself as if by magic.  It was like a duet with the wheel.  Together they were lyrical and musical.  There was a respect in her relationship with this wheel.  I loved her lines and her ethereal quality. She is so skilful in not chopping off her fingers as she rolls and navigates the Cyr Wheel in various ways.
 
Sadly the group juggling act lost some magic due to at least two incidents of dropping the batons.  I blame the lighting up of the mobile phones as these performers are so well trained and skilled that they can juggle looking elsewhere.  Maybe it was a lapse in concentration.  It is forgivable, but sadly due to the music score they are limited and must continue the show.  This too me takes away from the excitement of the build up to finally achieving success with their trick.
 
The strong man, Ugo Laffolay worked on the straps with his sensational gymnastically toned physique.  When he first took off his shirt the audience all swooned in awe at his musculature.  What was so impressive was his push ups with his legs suspended off the floor in second position (with his legs wide apart.)  There was a competition comedy routine with the clown, Ashley Carr. trying to copy Ugo's routine.  This was fun and we could empathise with the clown as few in the audience would be able to do any of Ugo's tricks.  The aerial strap routine was mesmerising with Ugo's strength, power and precision.  He created clean lines and steely poses that that would cut through diamonds.
 
Later Ugo would  perform handstands on rods.  He took these rods up two, three and then four levels.  The video projection created the sensation of riding an elevator, watching floors drop away as Ugo went higher.  This was one of the most impressive and simple theatrical devices to give a sense of height for those with any vertical phobias.  Again his power and strength were on display with his masterful skill and artistry.
 
The contortionist Myriam Deraiche is statuesque and has a commanding presence. At one stage she is supported by five men as she mounts her left leg into a side split position.  The build up to this finale is what I wanted to see more of in other acts.  I wanted more clean finishes to each act rather than blurred segues to the next act.  I think the audience wanted this too, as they, at times did not know when to applaud.  This hesitation of thunderous applause was due to the lack of exciting and definite finishes.
 
I loved the transitions between scenes and maintaining the "Metropolis" theme of the show.  The passing parade of grey trench coats was used in many inventive ways.

The solo juggler was good and created a build up to his act.  His smile was infectious and he was entertaining with his various methods of juggling. 

The Chinese Pole had some great tricks and the requisite close-to-the-ground stops.  The best part was the changing of positions with the three performers. Believe it or not, I found the choreography and the staging of the set up for the equipment to this act was more interesting than the act itself.

The banquine had some great sequences that kept my attention.  The ensemble worked in harmony to support each other.  They all have brute strength particularly in their wrists to be able to catch one another.  Sadly in the programme we do not have photographs of the cast and they are identified by their speciality acts.  Here most of the cast were involved at some stage in banquine routines.

I loved the clothes rack duet with the red dress and the clown Ashley Carr.  Lovely timing that had us in the palm of his hand. It was a fun routine with a hint of sadness and loneliness. It was hilarious when he put a clothes hanger into the back of his coat and hung himself on the clothes rack.  Beautifully simple in concept and so rich and entertaining.

While some staging intentionally diverted our attention for the set up of circus equipment, other stage actions were a distraction and took away the magic of the setup of, for example the final teeterboard sequence.  The two women on the desk with the central clown took away too much focus from the teeterboard.  Sadly our view was blocked by the antics of the three on the desk and created too much action and lacked focus. 
 The teeterboard at the end came close to being a thrilling finale.   It needed a pause to create a build up of suspense and a pronouncement that they arrested our attention.  To me I wanted some more traditional entrances to build up our suspense. 
I also loved the paperwork theme that was carried through to the finale.

Though the acts were good, I was not on the edge of my seat with anticipation.  I wanted more excitement and my chest pounding with the thrill that other circus acts have given me.  I loved the concept of the show and the constant theme. My favourites were the opening tumbling act, the Cyr Wheel and the aerial straps.

I believe this was their 200th performance of "Cirkopolis" and congratulations to  Circus Eloize on their visual treat.  I look forward to their return and to see their other works.
 
Overall this production gets a 7/10.