Circus 1903 - A Night To Remember

Last night my husband and I were lucky enough to attend the opening show of CIRCUS 1903 -The Golden Age of Circus, at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne.

CIRCUS 1903 is a world first event where the puppeteers of the War Horse team up with the producers of the biggest selling magic show in the world, The Illusionist, to take you back to a time when circuses were the biggest shows in town.

From the second the show started it was breathtaking.  You are immediately transported back to the turn of the last century as you watch the workers set up the big top, and the ringmaster, Willy Whipsnade keeps you entertained, explaining the history of the circus.

You will see many traditional acts that you would expect to see from a circus of this era, including The Sensational Sozonov and his amazing balancing act...

the Perilous Perigos, who will keep you on the edge of your seat with his fantastic, and slightly scary, knife throwing skills...

and my personal favourite, The Elastic Dislocationist, with her mind-blowing flexibility.

CIRCUS 1903 brings together performers from around the world, including a juggler from France; acrobatics from the Ukraine and a high wire act from Mexico.

While there are no real animals in the show, you will be blown away by the creation of a life-size mother and baby elephant. The puppeteers and model-makers feature groundbreaking advances in design and expression.  Expect to see Mum and baby featuring throughout the show.  

These elephants were handled so amazingly, you will forget they are puppets.  You see them interact with their handlers, and even make sure the audience gets a good drink of water!

The show is 2 hours long, separated by a 20 minute intermission.  You become so enthralled, it's over before you know it.

The set and costume design are simply amazing. The attention to detail is second to none.

The costume designer, Angela Aaron, was inspired by authentic photographic collections, studying historical museum pieces and discussing with experts and historians. 

A particularly gorgeous costume is that of Lucky Moon, the spectacular aerialist.  She will have you holding your breath as you watch her gracefully perform her beautiful routine.

A crowd favourite was The Great Gaston, the Juggling Juggernaut, showing brilliant hand-eye co-ordination with his juggling agility, and flawless control as he tossed his props higher and higher into the air.

Another popular act was The Cycling Cyclone who made riding a bike look like a dance.

The music is perfectly matched to the performance throughout the show, changing tempo with each act.  The soundtrack is composed by Evan Jolly, and played by local musicians.

No circus is complete without a trapeze act, and CIRCUS 1903 delivers with the daredevil feats of Los Lopez, bringing the show a spectacular close. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the show and highly recommend it.  We both thought CIRCUS 1903 is the best show we've seen, by far.  LOVED it and I can't rave highly enough about it.  We had big smiles on our faces from beginning to end.

The show's producers, Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, have created Le Grand Cirque, Le Noir, 

Cirque Adrenaline and The Illusionists in over 250 cities from London to Sydney to 

Broadway, as well as presenting A Chorus Line, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Fiddler on the Roof through Australia.

After the world premiere season in Australia CIRCUS 1903 – The Golden Age of Circus transfers directly to Los Angeles and New York. 

The show is family-friendly.  Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade regularly interacts with the audience, particularly the children, causing simone hilarious on-stage antics.

If you have small children with you, you can ask one of the ushers for a booster seat for better viewing.  The seating is very comfortable, with plenty of leg room.

The Melbourne show can be booked here: 

Venue: Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne 

Dates:

Tuesday 3 January at 7pm 

Wednesday 4 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Thursday January at 3pm & 7pm 

Friday 6 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Saturday 7 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Sunday 8 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Tuesday 10 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Wednesday 11 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Thursday 12 January at 3pm & 7pm 

Prices: Adults from $81.26 

Child from $50.68 

Transaction fee of $8.90 applies per order 

Bookings: 1300 111 011 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

The photographs used in this blog post were taken by Mark Turner.

Mark's links are below:

www.circusphotos.com.au
www.markturnerimages.com