Rushes

The newly renovated Circa is covered in paper, the walls at least, it's dressed up like a haunted house. The set up would have been better for a house of horrors. It had a slightly voyeuristic feel, encountering dancers trapped in their own thoughts, peering through doorways and peepholes. Even in the hallways, obstructing traffic, there are lithe young things gyrating. Some of it is beautiful but it doesn't seem to have a point or tell any story. Performers moved from room to room, it was disconcerting not to know if people were members or the audience or dancers. There were small moments of delight, of calm amongst the chaos, a quiet figure moving elegantly behind a peephole. The grand finale was a dance floor surrounded by plastic sheets, if it had been a haunted house that would have made an amazing party at the end of it - just add punch.

I would have preferred an actual tour backstage at Circa with stories about what had happened there, maybe a few vignette scattered around. I wouldn't recommend if you are at all Claustrophobic as it didn't seem like you could get out of there easily and the crowds and thumping music and confusion made it seem close.

Performances: 23 Feb-5 March (times vary)
Tickets: $42 

Tierra y Mar: A Flamenco Guitar Project

This is not your usual Circa Theatre fare; we've grown to expect at least a little context to accompany music. Paul Bosauder, the guitarist, is award winning and exceptionally talented but he is also quiet spoken and was somewhat overshadowed by the dramatic personality of the vocalist. She stole the show with her voice and personality, even though we couldn't understand her as she only spoke Spanish.

The style of music feels unpredictable with a mix of beats and improvisational style. You could see the performers checking what each other was doing, at times they seemed to be on different beats yet somehow it appeared intentional. But the music was too loud for the small space; it would have been better without amplification, the end of the night proved it wasn't necessary.

The first half was stifling hot and meant the instruments had to be tuned constantly. During the second half the air conditioning was on but it unfortunately caused a stream of cold air to be directed at the vocalist. The performers became more comfortable as the night progressed culminating in two encores which were the best part of the show. Not only were they relaxed but the vocalist had room to move, which she did beautifully, and without microphones the strange echo effect was gone.

If you like this style of music you'll love this show, if you're not familiar with it you may find yourself wondering why they didn't give the vocalist free rein and put her as the centre piece.

Note: bring cash to purchase a CD


Performances: 8-10 February, 8:30pm
Tickets: $52