^{Cover image: CircusWA show Eclipse set under a vast patchwork tent in The Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre of WA. Image by Edwin Sitt.}

^{CircusWA’s ensemble showcases an impressive range of circus skills. Image by Edwin Sitt.}

Following three years of collaboration with Melbourne’s National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) and the South Australian Circus Centre, CircusWA presents the full realisation of Eclipse. First devised by local theatre-maker Sally Richardson and directed by Meredith Kitchen, the production explores questions of environmental and social responsibility through a blend of circus, physical theatre and contemporary dance. 

The ensemble showcases an impressive range of circus skills, from diabolo and a variety of aerial apparatus to Chinese pole and partnered acrobatics. The cast’s physical versatility is compelling, transforming from scampering quadrupedal creatures into dynamic duets showcasing a range of lifts and tumbles. The performers’ physical range and presence guide us through the work’s impactful storytelling. A beautiful dance solo performed within a diagonal corridor of light offers a glimpse of hope amid the production’s desaturated world. 

Eloise Kent and Angelica Rush’s costumes and stage design create a utilitarian aesthetic infused with eerie fantasy. Weathered fabrics, spiked helmets and backpacks of collaged scavenged objects suggest remnants of a broken society. Surrealist details include performers occasionally wearing sheep masks or illuminated lampshades over their heads, and a performer puppeteering silver ducting with a flashlight eye. The recycled materials and post-apocalyptic imagery recall Mad Max, while the dreamlike strangeness echoes Return to Oz. This desaturated and eerie atmosphere is later contrasted with the performers’ colourful casual clothing. The colours of both the costumes and the suspended patchwork tent are illuminated in Jolene Whibley’s lighting design. 

Excerpts from speeches made by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg reinforce the work’s political and environmental themes. Live spoken word and singing by Maia Harcourt are a delight, her voice harmonising with Ayuba SOQS and underscoring a core theme: the need for human connection. 

Visually striking and emotionally resonant, Eclipse combines athletic circus performance with thoughtful storytelling. Unsettling, hopeful and imaginative, Eclipse showcases CircusWA’s established and youth artists while expressing an urgent message for social and political change. 

Visit CircusWA website for more details.