The number of props in the air, the number of artists in each trick, the increasing complexity within those patterns, Escalate certainly does what the name says on the box – each moment building on the one before.
Simultaneously, however, there’s also distillation as Byron Hutton, Richard Sullivan, and Samuel Kreisler use their undeniable skill to gift the audience with such purified examples of toss juggling and club contact.
That skill and precision isn’t restricted to the manipulation of objects, but is something weaved by the trio throughout the larger architecture of the show. From the opening salvo – lights cued with a throw cued with the THX music – onwards, the team have timed their juggling with accompanying sound and lights to a level of perfection that is almost unsettling.
Which isn’t to suggest the show is merely an academic exercise, with its audience admiring the work rather than being engaged by it. No, Escalate was a gripping and captivating hour of circus art.
Among a multitude of inspired artistic choices, two particularly stood out: One was in lighting, when black lights would come up as the traditional lighting faded down. The audience lost the trio in the darkened space leaving only their now-glowing props, patterns and tricks rendered in bright fluorescent glory.
The other choice was in sound, specifically the use of silence, specifically the absence of any voices. From its cinematic opening to its dazzling climax, the artists remained silent. The lack of banter – whether with the audience, crew, or each other – helped keep the attention where they wanted it, on their three props.
A ball, a club, a ring – the reverence given to these props by Byron, Richard and Samuel was unmistakable, each given a space of importance by the end of the show that rightly felt more like an altar than gallery portrait.
Escalate
Circus Oz Performance Hub, 50 Perry Street, Collingwood
Performance: Thursday 10 October 2024
Season continues to 20 October 2024
Information and Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
Image: Richard Sullivan and Byron Hutton in Escalate (supplied)
Review: David Collins