Wunderful! A chat with Circa’s Daniel Crisp

There simply isn’t anywhere more glorious in Melbourne than the Foxtel Festival Hub on the south bank of the Yarra. Yesterday I spent a perfect afternoon with coffee, cake, friends, cocktails, views and the too wonderful Wunderacts from Circa.

Based in Brisbane, circus troupe Circa were formed in 2006 and have toured to 22 countries, where audiences have adored them and critics consistently raved. And rightly so. Wunderacts is new. It’s sexy and clever and funny and the laid back Saturday afternoon crowd couldn’t stop themselves from jumping to their feet at the end of the show.

We had a quick chat with Daniel Crisp from the company, who says that everyone should see the show. He’s right! But it’s only on until Monday 22 October.

Describe you show in three words?
Awesome, unearthly, merrymaking.

Who shouldn’t miss your show?
No one should miss it!

What other Melbourne Festival show will you NOT miss seeing?
We are coming in on the back end, but everything happening at the Foxtel festival hub looks awesome.

What was the first festival you were a part of?
Woodford folk festival.

Apart from the Melbourne Festival, what festival would you love to be a part of?
The Montreal Circus festival. 

If you’re new to Melbourne, what else are you looking forward to doing while you’re here?
Kicking it with some of the other amazing artists that are performing and live in Melbourne.

If you’re a local, where in Melbourne do you always take visitors?
Chapel Street and St Kilda, always crowd pleasers. An AFL game is always a winner to provide it’s in season.

What’s one of the great things about performing in a festival?
The vibe and community energy between the different artists from different companies getting to hang out together and kick it.

What do you like to do when you have a day away from art?
Sunshine, surf and smile.

If you could invite anyone to see your show (and you know they would come), who would it be?
Kevin Rudd.

What is the best theatre advice you’ve received?
Nothing risked, nothing gained.

What’s the worst (or best) thing a review has said about you or your show?
“It’s like watching superheroes have sex”.

What was the last book you read?
The Turning by Tim Winton.

What was the last piece of theatre you saw that made you cry?
The Lion King. 

What does art mean to you?
The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination mixed with danger and emotion. It allows an expression of self and development of beauty in all places.

Will anyone hate your show?
I’d much rather someone hates the show than be totally bored and feel nothing toward it. You can’t please everyone!

What work changed how you make theatre? Why?Working with Yaron has most definitely changed my perspective and altered my perception of what art is and can become. So essentially it was when I first saw the show C!RCA in 2009 at the Opera House in Sydney. It gave me a clear direction of what I wanted to pursue with my career and what style I wanted to work toward, that has continued to be an ever-changing thing over the awesome period of two years I have been at Circa.

What is the first piece of theatre you remember seeing?My best friend Mark Hill performing in Raw Metal in his early teenage years.

What director/actor/writer/creator would you just die to work with?I am mighty happy right here at Circa and working with Yaron, Darcy and our directorial crew. No need to die.

What do love most about your show?The honest nature of the work. There are no characters; just people doing things that humans do in strange and interesting (and hopefully funny) ways.

Wunderacts
Circa
Foxtel Festival Hub
19–22 October
melbournefestival.com.au