[THEATRE REVIEW] ESCALATE @ Circus Oz Review (2024)
Accompanied by live guitar and electronica, which drive the rhythm of their performance, three accomplished Melburnians are pushing the boundaries of possibly as jugglers.
Appropriately, their hour-long show is titled Escalate, for their series of “acts” often escalate in intensity.
Byron Hutton, Richard Sullivan and Samuel Kreusler, who is also the show’s composer, are adept at juggling balls, rings and clubs.
The impressive start sees Kreusler strumming ethereal tunes on his guitar, while the other pair juggle grain balls across and around him.
Then, as he is strumming, Kreusler joins the fray, juggling with one hand and plucking with the other (I kid you not). At one point, the stringed instrument itself is also used to bat off the balls.
The scene is set for a lively collection of vignettes that elevate the art form.
Adding to the atmospherics, the artistes are all dressed in black.
Subdued lighting with splashes of colour add to the sense of awe that confronts us, the audience.
Sometimes the respective juggling “toys” are kept separate.
Balls are tossed up and to one another (at speed) – the lion’s share of the juggling conducted by Hutton and Sullivan. The same applies to the rings and batons.
On other occasions, the three sets of “apparatus” are interwoven.
These guys’ hand to eye coordination is remarkable. They are mighty slick performers.
Sure, they use their hands, but also their heads to “wear” the rings or balance a club.
My favourite acts were those when umpteen luminescent rings were thrown to one another, while being juggled high and handsome.
Fluorescence adds an extra layer … another most attractive dimension to a production that is already big on the “wow” factor.
I can only imagine the countless hours that these men must have put into perfecting their craft.
After claiming the Best Circus Award at Melbourne Fringe in 2022, Escalate premiered at Arts Centre Melbourne last year, before garnering acclaim at Edinburgh Fringe.
Now the triumphant trio is set to step it up a notch, with shows scheduled in the USA, South America, Europe and Asia.
But first, you can see the lads strutting their stuff at the Circus Oz Hub in Collingwood, as part of the 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival until 20th October. To book, go to https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/escalate/
Review by Alex First