Circus Oz 2013

On the outside a Circus Oz show is a delightful, clever, cheeky romp. On the inside it breathes a furnace-like soul, pumping warmth all through the Big Top and its full audience. With so much love and so many happy people, Circus Oz couldn’t keep it cold if they tried.

Cranked Up is a medley of different circus and performance arts, and everyone has a unique and varied artistic hat collection – the acrobats are musicians, the musicians are comedians, and the comedians can dance. Using the categories any more seems pointless – there’s nothing they can’t do and they invent new performance types as they go.

This revamped show introduces new performers with the much-loved ‘old’ crew, and every performer brings a story and a character to share. The hilarious characters are multi-talented creatures, and showcase skills such as roller skating (kind of), trapeze (definitely) and Ultimate See-Saw (not its real name, but you’ll know what I mean when you see it!), not to mention furniture juggling and flying musicianship. Every segment is exciting, surprising and impressive. And somehow they make us laugh even while their stunts induce mild terror.

Alongside creating fantastic shows, Circus Oz offers programs and training to Indigenous and rural Australians who otherwise wouldn’t have access to circus arts, as well as raising money for free tickets for recent immigrants. They believe in and work towards “A good time for all”, and it’s wondrous to be a part of them achieving this. While the show is on, you’ll be too busy giggling yourself silly to focus on how beautifully they display their philosophies of community building, gender equality and diversity. But their soul is an ever-present undercurrent, and will keep you feeling warm long after you’ve left the Big Top.