One Fell Swoop Circus: By a Thread

Gasworks One Fell Swoop Circus - photo by Aaron Walker PhotographyReturning to Gasworks Arts Park from 12 to 16 July for six shows only, One Fell Swoop Circus proudly present a revamped and reinvigorated season of their much lauded production, By a Thread.

An ensemble circus creation exploring the relationship between trust and play, By a Thread sees long spools of white rope run through pulley sheaves and wrapped around bodies, explicitly connecting movements above and on the ground.

Like the booms and sheets of a sailing ship, performers are hoisted and swung by one another to create striking tableaux and breath-taking dynamics. The actions of one acrobat affect the movements of others in a mesmerising negotiation of cause and effect.

“One Fell Swoop Circus was formed as we wanted to make work that explores the trust implicit in ensemble acrobatic work, and apply this to aerials,” explains Director and company co-founder, Charice Rust. “It’s challenging developing group aerial circus acts, as aerialists are often isolated from other performers. We’re in a full-time creative development for this season where we’re fine-tuning.”

“We’re working with an incredible dramaturg and designer and are pushing our acrobatic skills even further. The result will be a revamped, slick new, By a Thread – where the skills, aesthetics and dramatic ideas are heightened and amplified. Circus is a powerful art form because what you see before you is actually what is happening. When you see someone taking a risk by hanging upside down from a rope that is held up only by other people, well… that’s what is happening.”

Wowing audiences across Australia, By a Thread offers rich visuals of inventive aerial acrobatics and spectacular skills from some of Australia’s finest emerging circus artists. With intense training in a breadth of contemporary circus disciplines, these performers have pooled their knowledge and skills and then shattered traditional boundaries.

By a Thread has been created as a show where classic techniques are used in expansive ways and new skills are made possible. Runners up in the 2016 Gasworks Arts Park Circus Showdown, One Fell Swoop Circus is a powerhouse young ensemble of circus artists from Melbourne’s renowned National Institute of Circus Arts.

Director: Charice Rust & Jonathan Morgan Performers: Jonathan Morgan, Charice Rust, Ryan Darwin, Ela Bartilomo, Piri Goodman, Sarah Berrell, Luke Thomas Design and Technical Support: Caleb Morgan Dramaturgy: Zebastian Hunter Lighting Design: After Dark Theatre Costume Design: Emily Barrie

By a Thread
Gasworks Theatre – Gasworks Arts Park, 21 Graham Street, Albert Park
Season: 12 – 16 July 2017
Bookings: www.gasworks.org.au

For more information, visit: www.onefellswoopcircus.com for details.

Image: By a Thread – photo by Aaron Walker Photography