Circa’s Wolf is a triumph – brimming with primal power and acrobatic precision
- Written by Delyse Ryan, National Course Coordinator of Creative Arts, Senior Lecturer in Drama, Australian Catholic University
The Australian premiere of Circa’s Wolf at Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre was a breath-holding whirlwind of primal excitement. In two 40-minute acts, Director Yaron Lifschitz took us on a journey of savagery, survival and togetherness.
Circa is an edgy contemporary circus company that offers audiences a boost of adrenaline through well-crafted acrobatic skill, as well as insightful critiques of humanity.
There are deep lessons once you scratch the surface of Wolf – a masterful piece that examines animal urges, as well as solitary survival, sexuality, nurturing, pack mentality and communal responsibility.
Incredible human sculptures
The audience enters the QPAC Playhouse to comical video images of wolves, including 1930s Disney illustrations, stop-motion animation and vintage Shirley Temple footage – all gesturing towards different cultural representations of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.
The curtain opens with the stage fully obscured with haze and, through the dense fog, we see a body hanging from a rope and one lone wolf at a back corner of the stage. It watches, waiting, ready to pounce; the predatory theme is immediately obvious.
What unfolds is a dynamic physical show that is driven by raw, animalistic imagery. Strap work and trapeze artists pepper the show, as bodies gnaw and snarl at them from below. We see feats of incredible physical prowess, and an exploration of the wild nature of wolves.
The humans-as-wolves towers elicits the largest gasp from the opening night audience. More and more bodies climb up on shoulders before, finally, the tower collapses and the entire cast tumbles expertly across the stage. The patterns created by the whirlwind of bodies are mesmerising.
Groups of bodies dance to shift into position to create human sculptures. When the team is clustered together, hands or feet simply spring up when required to help performers springboard to their next feat. The performers must act as a pack for the survival of all the members.
Wolves climb up and cling to each other and then pounce at their prey across the stage, landing from the heights of other performers’ shoulders.
A roiling romp
Circa has perfected the art of the inaudible landing. Even from tremendous heights, the acrobats land with silent precision.
The stark white wall and stage-covering mat provide a minimalist set design which prioritises the visual importance of the performers’ movements. Their silhouettes and shadows offer a perfect background for the ever-morphing sculptural patterns they create using their bodies.
Wolves move in and out of the stage – establishing dominance over the prey – and transform from individual beasts into a collective pack. One body-sculpture features a wolf holding four other performers on his shoulders, but it is not complete until two more cling around each leg: a feat worthy of the pack leader.
Another notable scene is met with roars of laughter; several wolves engage in rather comically represented sex, while another tries to get into the action by climbing on top of them and squeezing in between their bodies. The absurdity escalate as the stage fills with wolves on the sexual prowl, swapping partners and roiling with copulative pleasure.
Electronic beats
The second act starts with the full company eyeballing the audience and huffing and puffing together. The imagery is powerful, and the energy palpable. The collective gasping for air is supported by the beats of the electronic music. DJ Ori Lichtik’s meticulous beats match the rhythm, leading us into the wild world of the wolf pack.
Designer Libby McDonnell’s costumes create a distinct design for each wolf, with personalised black and nude patterns in the lycra showcasing the individuality of each member of the pack.
At the end, the production receives a very worthy standing ovation from a full house.
Authors: Delyse Ryan, National Course Coordinator of Creative Arts, Senior Lecturer in Drama, Australian Catholic University
