The Magic of Circus.

With Circus of Illusion playing on the Gold Goast, Coral Drouyn looks at how a local circus has diversified to stay alive.

Who has not, at some time in their life, wanted to run away from home and join the circus? It’s been the ultimate fantasy of misunderstood youths for over two hundred years – no, make that 2,000.

Circus is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the world, and it has constantly evolved to keep itself alive. True, lion taming acts evolved from a far more gruesome display in early Rome, and clowns piled into minute cars took the place of chariot races, but the roots are all there. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the animal trainers, jugglers and rope walkers were left unemployed. They soon discovered they had to travel to find an audience, so that they could keep performing the same acts to different people, and so the travelling circus was born in Europe.

So, given these days of astonishing hi-tech productions by such exemplary companies as Cirque Du Soleil, what was/is circus, particularly in the last century?

It’s entertainment for the masses, largely played in a round ring (from which it gets its name) with the audience sitting around the perimeter –Theatre-in-the-round in its purest form. The ring was covered with sawdust and liberally sprinkled between animal acts – no-one wants the stench of elephant dung in their nostrils for the remainder of a performance. And exotic animals, rarely seen up close and personal a hundred years or more ago, were always star attractions in travelling circuses.

If you were brought up in a country town in Australia, or you are over fifty years old, you may have been lucky enough to see the circus come to town and the grand parade that had kids lining the streets with their mouths agape. I saw it many times in my childhood in England and my own mother was a bareback rider in a circus in her early teens.

It’s a thrill like no other I can think of, and it will never come in that form again.

Australian circuses were based on horsemanship, as you would expect since horses were the only means of transport back in the early 1800s, and some of the finest equestrian acts in the world came from our shores. Circus in Australia started with Radford’s, a circus formed by a jockey and horse trainer in Tasmania. Trick riding was the mainstay and a good horseman could always find work. Later, as European settlers came to Australia, they brought different skills, and the circuses expanded, with Australian artists, like the flying Colleano family, gaining international reputations.

But by the late 20^th century, the writing was on the wall. Times changed with the advent of animal rights, and the furore didn’t just apply to exotic animals. Extreme pressure forced many animal based circuses off the road. Names like Bullen, Ashton, Wirth, Perry and Sole Bros, disappeared from our psyche. Still, circus refused to die, even when entrepreneurs imported spectacles like The Great Moscow Circus to our shores while the local companies were going broke. Cirque Du Soleil set a new standard in entertainment and have been here so many times that they are practically locals (as, in fact, many of their performers are.)

Some changed tack completely, and continued touring in the old way. Silver’s circus became Silver’s MAGIC Circus, thanks to the input from the iconic Ross Skiffington, who created a production of illusions and magic which shaped the future of the circus.

Circus Royale is the latest circus to diversify and it is one of the newer kids on the block. Founded in 1971 by one of a Swiss Acrobatic duo who had come to tour Australia for two years, but stayed to marry Australian girls, it keeps alive all the history of traditional circus. But when young entrepreneur Damien Syred acquired the circus in 2007 he was looking for ways to expand in a diminishing market. Meanwhile young illusionist Michael Boyd was diversifying into production on a Las Vegas scale. Michael is a third generation show biz professional with magic in his veins. He and wife Cathie Costello had already built a reputation based on well produced quality entertainment at major casinos and Fortune 500 events. But Michael was itching to get back to performing, and an alliance between Circus Royale and his own M2 (Magic2) company seemed like the perfect match - and the Circus of Illusion was born.

While the traditional Circus Royale takes on the Northern Territory, Circus of Illusion takes over the Gold Coast for the school Holidays under a heated Big Top (I know it’s Winter, but this IS the Gold Coast) on the Broadwater foreshore at Southport.

The cast includes ex Cirque Du Soleil alumnus Ebon Grayman, a charismatic ringmaster who has full command over his audience; famous Spanish clown Duban Nickol, whose talents go far beyond traditional clowning; a French mime artist – who performed with the legendary Marcel Marceau. And then there’s Michael Boyd – who takes off his producer’s hat to don his stage garb and present some astonishing illusions, created by the same team responsible for the great David Copperfield’s illusions.

There are other acts galore (including the graceful aerialist Elissa Cadwell), plus a museum of Magical Arts and even magic workshops where the kids can learn something to astonish their mates. Michael knows that the “Business” side of Show Business needs talent to survive, but the opposite is also true. Talent needs a “Business” element to enable it to be seen. Circus of illusion is a classic case of using what you have to give the audience what they want.

Fifty years into the future it may be that Circuses will be so high tech that clowns are robots and the almost forgotten elephants and lions are projected holograms, who knows? But for now, this alliance between circus and theatre in Circus of Illusion means that another goes on to new successes and gives both kids and parents a magical experience. If you’re on holiday, take the kids to see it. It’s much healthier for them than the movies and really not that much more expensive.

Circus of Illusion runs from June 23^rd- July 9^th, 2017

www.circusofillusion.com.au