The Circus is Coming to Town!

Press Release

The Circus is Coming to Town!

Wednesday 25 February 2010

Over the next week Wellington's Waitangi Park will be taken over by acrobats, clowns and daredevil horse riders.

The Wellington Festival of Circus will run from the 3rd to the 9th of March with shows designed to thrill and awe audiences of all ages – showcasing the best of kiwi and international talent.

In addition to nightly performances by international and local artists there are also free workshops so that everyone can experience some of the magic of performing.

The Wellington Festival of Circus is celebrating its fourth anniversary by moving from a small, one-day event in the Civic Centre to taking over Waitangi Park for an entire week. Alice Capper-Starr, executive officer of the Wellington Circus Trust commented: 'This is our biggest event yet. We are really looking forward to bringing our full circus repertoire to Wellington and showing that we have the resources in New Zealand to put on something which will stun and thrill everyone.'

Deborah Pope, director of Awkward Productions, believes that the festival will appeal to all: 'Our free workshops are a great opportunity for the public to participate in circus arts themselves....We train our students to world standards so that they can perform not only in New Zealand but internationally. Circuses tour the globe and skilled performers need special training. I hope that the free workshops will attract more young people to the industry, which is all about performing the best for yourself and for the crowd. Circus arts require a range of skills: physical strength, dancing, acting – the circus is a challenging way of having fun and achieving your best.'

Traditional theme-park amusements, fairground rides and food stands will also make up the festive atmosphere of the Wellington Festival of Circus.

The performances include:

The Navigators: A spectacular circus adventure inspired by our sea-faring ancestors and our identity as an island nation. Full of magic, danger and death defying stunts.

A cast including some of the most talented circus performers in the country will have audiences under their spell as they nonchalantly dangle from ropes, climb to dizzying heights and throw themselves into the air – all for your entertainment!
The Navigators takes you to a place where you are on the brink, and about to fly! Journey through storms, as acrobats soar above you, fall in love with the odd crew of the Fuse Circus rig, and laugh at their antics as they try to reach their individual and collective destinations.

Stop No 60: 45 minutes of whimsical, slapstick, acrobatic comedy with two characters, a suitcase and a pair of red shoes. A beautiful family show from Argentineans Virginia Molina and Rodrigo Oses.

An Adagio Cocktail Hour: A compact fusion of circus and theatre, with an exquisite sound-scape, Adagio is wonderfully funny, lyrical and thrilling.‘

'Not only is Adagio seriously sophisticated, it is also seriously enjoyable, thoroughly entertaining and a damn good night at the theatre. The traditional skills of circus and a contemporary theatrical sensibility'
The Dominion Post
Adagio premiered at Downstage, Wellington '08 to critical acclaim, an extended run and a Chapman Tripp Award for outstanding musical composition. Adagio is toured nationally in 2009.
Circus of Horrors: For those who like their circus on the wild side. A nightmare turned real, this show is not for the squeamish or faint hearted. This extreme circus mixed with blood, guts and sex will turn your insides out!

Deadly: With no pause between happiness and disaster. Deadly — a man, a woman and the seven deadly sins. This enticing, new show will make its premier at the Wellington Festival of Circus.

Kapiti Vaulting Club: Astonishing performances on beautiful horses. The talented performers of the Kapiti Vaulting Club will be doing free performances and workshops.

Empress Stilt Dance: Free performances of the new show, Kahuka – A Butterfly Romance. Astonishing costumes in a show that defies gravity.

Gallery of Oddities: Based on the tradition of curiosity cabinets and circus side-shows the Gallery of Oddities explores the weirder side of life and some of the myths and legends which we have believed in the past. Be intrigued by what you will see... but beware – it may cost your soul...

Circa Teen: A delightful performance by young artists from the Wellington Circus Trust with a charming series of scenes which will amuse young and old alike.

Free Workshops: Circus Skills workshops run by the Wellington Circus Trust are at the heart of the Circus. Classes include: flying trapeze, hoola-hoops, unicycles, acro-balance, juggling and more. The workshops are provided by highly skilled circus performers and cater to all ages and abilities.
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