CIRCUS: Strap yourselves in and try not to blink – you don’t want to miss a second of the action when Australia’s most innovative circus comes to town.
The Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre is set to host Circa in two mind-blowing performances – 61 Circus Acts in 60 Minutes and Wunderkammer, described as a breathless cocktail of circus, cabaret and vaudeville.
In the lead-up to 61 Circus Acts, entertainment spoke to 22-year-old performer Daniel O’Brien about what it’s like to really run away and join the circus.
Growing up on the Queensland coast, O’Brien was an enthusiastic young gymnast until he reached high school and “got bored”.
His coach recommended internationally successful company Circa, so O’Brien spent the next three years working towards a bachelor degree at the National Institute of Circus Arts, learning the finer points of performance.
“Initially I was just looking to concentrate on the physical side of it, but soon I became attracted to the performance element,” O’ Brien said.
“I joined Circa at the start of this year – they’re pretty much the cream of the crop, so it’s a great opportunity, especially because you get to tour internationally and across regional Australia.”
A typical performance day starts at least three hours before showtime with an extensive warm-up and to make sure all aspects such as lighting are perfect, which means performers can end up getting physical for eight hours straight.
61 Circus Acts will see a team of five entertain the crowd with more than one gasp-worthy act every minute for an hour.
O’Brien said one of his acts sees him taking your typical Kmart frypan and rolling it up to stuff inside a tube in a hard-to-believe strongman-type skit.
There are always plenty of gasps from the crowd when they “throw the girls around” in amazing athletic feats that seem to defy gravity.
O’Brien said the show was a crowd-pleaser with a wide range of audiences and always attracted plenty of families.
61 Circus Acts in 60 Minutes will come to the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on Friday, October 31.
Wunderkammer will be presented on Saturday, November 1.
For more information go to bunburyentertainment.com
