Muse review

Merlene Hutt on the cyr wheel

When people see circus artists, they are generally left in awe by witnessing what the human body is capable of and how they are genuinely putting themselves at risk for our entertainment. But why do they do it? What drives them to want to perform in circus? The graduating class from the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) are here to tell us with their final year showcase Muse.
 
The show is devised as an exploration of where their ideas spark from. Jesse Holden officially kicks off the twelve acts with his hoop diving as he is constructing an IKEA-esque furniture. It's a strong opening with Holden executing smooth acrobatic sequences with his structure, while telling a humorous yet compelling story about finding inspiration from the unknown and going with the flow.

Eclipse review

After roughly three years since their last live performance, the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) has brought together 12 of its students for its new show, Eclipse. Conceived by Sally Richardson, it is an exploration on how the pandemic has changed the world and how the world will continue to change because of it.

Richardson was inspired by Indian author Arundhati Roy's piece The Pandemic is a Portal, where she discusses the various ways COVID-19 has impacted India and what we need to remember and learn from as we attempt to move forward. It's quite fitting then, that the opening moments have hints of a Mad Max-esque dystopian future with a bedraggled tent cover and people living in imagined squalor milling around and endlessly passing time.
It is always exciting to see up-and-coming circus artists on stage and witnessing the beginnings of their careers.