Circus Oz – Here, There and Everywhere

When were you last at the circus? Genevieve Spiteri reviews the Circus Oz show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

When was the last time you went to the circus? Do you remember the incredible acrobatics and hilarious antics of the performers? Now is the perfect time to experience it again with Circus Oz’s Here, There and Everywhere these school holidays at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.  

An absolutely seamless performance from start to finish, Here, There and Everywhere is everything you want to see from the circus. Acrobatics? Check. Simple, yet hilarious skits? Check. Awe-inspiring acts that leave the audience’s jaws on the floor? Check, check, and check!  

When I was a kid, I loved going to “the circus”. I was captivated by the impossibly impressive athletes hurling their bodies across the tent with seemingly no care about the stakes, the seemingly death-defying stakes of the trapeze artists, and the interaction between the performers and their comedy routines. Circus Oz has been in the circus biz since 1978, and has performed both nationally and internationally. The Melbourne company specialises in multi-generational human-centred circus performances, which just means they have performers of many ages, new and experienced, and do not use any animals in their acts.

Circus Oz has been very successful over the years and returns to Melbourne after their holiday season at 42^nd Street in New York. It is clear after attending a performance that their success comes from their years of dedication and passion for the art form.  

End your uni break with a spectacle. (Image: Ian Sutherland and Angelique Ross)

It has been a while since I last went to the circus, and I had forgotten just how athletic the performers are. These are world-class athletes performing incredible feats of strength that dazzle the audience in their perfection. Many scenes focus on one or more performers and their particular skills, such as hula hooping, corde lisse (vertical rope), acrobatics, and the crowd-favourite trapeze. These segments were the highlight for me; there is something about watching people do crazily difficult skills in a way you could never have imagined before, yet so effortlessly.

The comedic sections were also quite enjoyable, tying together the various skilled performances seamlessly. Here, There and Everywhere is performed in English, but aside from a skit at the beginning, no knowledge of the language is needed to enjoy the comedic elements of the show. All of it is physical comedy, with very simple jokes and premises that the entire audience can laugh along to, and is particularly appealing to children.  

From somersaults to skits, there's everything at the circus. (Image: Ian Sutherland and Angelique Ross)

While not performed in the traditional circus venue of a big tent, the Main Hall in the Melbourne Town Hall proved to be a perfect venue for the performance. The performance takes place on the stage with the addition of a giant steel rig that allows all tricks to happen safely. There is a mixture of floor and tiered seating in front of the stage, and tickets are assigned first come first served, so make sure you book quickly to get the prime floor seats! (That makes it sound like you sit on the floor – there are chairs, of course).  

From the floor to the ceiling, Circus Oz fills the stage. (Image: Ian Sutherland and Angelique Ross)

Accompanying the performers is a live, two-person band. They provide a soundtrack that perfectly encapsulates each performance and is completely unique. They are not only providing the backing track for these performers, but are expertly and carefully adjusting the music in real-time to the performances, adapting to any mistakes, mistimings or any part of the acts that make them go out-of-sync with the rehearsed timings.  

If you are looking for a real circus experience or are looking to entertain your young ones these school holidays, Circus Oz’s Here, There and Everywhere is certainly the experience for you!