Sidesault at the Melba 2019: A Festival of Experimental Circus.

The festival is comprised of six performances showcasing both individual and group shows. Spit, Invisible Things and Never... Calm Down! are three shows which can be seen from 7-10 November. The shows are all very different from one another, in both tone and content, but each one tests the boundaries of circus and cabaret performance art. The ideas are provocative, the performances are edgy, and even sometimes confronting.

In Spit Angelique Ross performs some astonishing feats on the tightrope and trapeze. Her act includes not only amazing balancing acts but some juggling that involves some ordinary household objects that take on a somewhat menacing tone. She captivates the audience through the fear and loathing of that which spurts, splashes and crashes on to our bodies in ways that are simultaneously hilarious and frightening.

Alex Mizzen is also a solo performer who has created a remarkable act titled Invisible Things. This is a visually astonishing piece that combines circus and performance arts in a very meditative and reflective manner. The combination of stillness and movement and the stark contrast of lighting in this unusual performance space brings the piece very close to installation art. The performance is a very intense and immensely moving exploration of internal mood and atmosphere.

Never... Calm Down! features Maude Davey, Rebecca Church and Anna Lumb. Their cabaret performance reminds us of the continued and unrelenting progression of sexism. The parody and pastiche particularly focus on Monroe as iconic image of beauty and the performers express a range of emotions, including disgust and sheer exasperation related to sexist objectification. Their anger is particularly evident in their treatment of the recent sexist rant by a group of private school boys while on Melbourne public transport. This show is a sharp reminder of the corrosive effect of such attitudes and almost a call to arms to combat them.

Patricia Di Risio

Image: Angelique Ross in Spit.