I
t all starts like a whimsical Halloween party for children. The room is dimly lit, and there are figures dressed in tattered white sheets, with frilly ankle socks peeking out. Suddenly, they say “Boo!” and sneak up to startle us. Then, they shout “Wooohooo!” and wiggle their arms under the sheets to make us laugh.
This production may seem like simple silliness, but beneath the surface, there is a carefully crafted grotesque and a clever camp comedy. Directed by Nicci Wilks, it has received accolades from Australia and revolves around the concept of twin children celebrating their “death day” in the afterlife. These eerie twins are portrayed with hyperactive menace by circus performers Olivia Porter and Jarred Dewey, who are both incredible acrobats and mischievous physical comedians. They alternate between behaving like aggressive automatons, possessed rag dolls, and mischievous child poltergeists.
Dismembered body parts become their playthings as they take us through the typical elements of a child’s party, including creepy clowns, balloon animals, and a game of pass the parcel. The comedic violence is juxtaposed with a soundtrack that combines the tinkly tunes of a children’s wind-up box with the infamous shower scene score from Hitchcock’s Psycho. The eerie visual effects are masterfully delivered through Richard Vabre’s jagged lighting design.
The performance switches between dark slapstick (the twins bash, kick, and garotte each other) and breathtaking moments of circus spectacle. In one scene, Dewey, dressed in funeral attire, performs on a trapeze, gracefully contorting his body in the air while also incorporating comical mourning gestures (“It’s tearing me apart,” he exclaims, with his legs in aerial splits). Porter mesmerizes the audience with her juggling act, and there is another scene where the pair balance on each other’s limbs in choreographed acrobatics.
These awe-inspiring moments are intentionally kept short, serving as a deconstruction of the traditionally polished circus performances. Instead, the focus is on macabre black comedy and childlike exuberance.
At times, the performance may feel somewhat chaotic, but this apparent messiness is an integral part of the overall concept. It stands in stark contrast to the meticulously choreographed displays of modern circus, making it even more inventive, surprising, and spirited.
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