Generating Coffee

We arrived at our site just as the sun was setting. It had been a long day so far with packing down the big-top, loading the trailers and all of us dealing with mild heat stroke. Luke had gone ahead with the first trailer and by the time I arrived, he'd magically laid out the entire tent on the grass, hammered in the peg line and preset everything for us to lift the tent in the morning. He was exhausted.

We pulled up by the lake and detached the seating trailer. I wandered over to Luke with an offering of an ice cold ginger beer - this has become one our tour treats on super hard working days. With the sun fast disappearing behind the hills, we figured it was time to get our new generator running - this entire stand was going to have to be powered by our tiny little motor as there was no power anywhere near this site.

Luke was pouring over the manuals and poking things on the generator - none of us had ever had to use one before so this was a bit of a new adventure.

Unfortunately for us we failed at making it work, and by the time that night had fully set in, we had long given up and an early night was had by all.



Dawn peaked over the lake and three over-tired, slightly damp and sleep deprived circus performers muddled over to the breakfast table. Only one thing would make today happen, and that was a very strong cup of coffee.

We all looked at each other.. the kettle needed the generator.

The boys once again took up residence beside our little unstartable motor and I prepared a coffee plunger in the vain hope that somehow we would be able to get the electricity happening..
Alas. We did not.

But our efforts did manage to attract the attention of a very tame black swan, which decided that it understood our generator far better than we, and set about chasing us one by one away from our electricity maker!

Eventually, we gave in and that's right, it was Dad to the rescue! Jerry stopped off on the way to work and somehow with mystical knowledge of gadgets managed to make the generator go.

We plugged the kettle in and waited with baited breath…

The generator died.
Then we realised the kettle required nearly twice the current that our little machine could make, and it was back to the drawing board for morning coffee.

*sigh*

Thank goodness for the back up gas stove we had tucked! Coffee was finally achieved!

The high life..

An evening off at the circus.. fireworks over head and the best seat in the house..

The Canberra Times Today!

Our cast were out and about promoting the show this morning, when a lady from a near-by shop bustled out, newspaper in hand and held it up to us - Would you look at that, a huge 2 page spread about our little circus!

Sold out tickets!

The circus is back at home base for a few days collecting ourselves after the huge week in Braidwood NSW. We were hosting a show as a fundraiser for the Braidwood Central school P&C and at the same time doing a preview performance of the show that we are touring.

I can not explain my amazement when, after loaning an extra 100 seats from the school - we heard the news that the show had fully booked out with standing room only by 2pm on the show day.

By the time we opened the doors, we had a queue of people waiting on stand-by tickets and the tent packed to the rafters!

The show was intense, it was the first time we had run it with an audience, and to do so with such a huge turn out was a massive treat. I was told the following morning that the applause and the roar of the kids cheer was heard several blocks away.

Thanks to the school for having us - now it is time to set up in Canberra!

Local fame for the little circus..

We have had an epic couple of weeks, with our international artists flying in, our first tent-up as a group and the final development session for the show. Over the week we had numerous interviews with press and now some of those have gone to print.. just thought I'd share

BMA Magazine This is a local arts mag, gig guide and local news magazine - free around Canberra

The Canberra Times - 17th Feb 2012
The Canberra times will be following us a bit over the next month, so check out what has been written so far, and stay tuned for updates.

The Canberra times have made us a little photo gallery :)

Konrad Lens, dropped by and took a few photos..

Imagin-eering at the house of circus

It is Saturday morning and things are heating up in the house of the circus. Luke is visiting family across the ditch for a bit, so Sharon, Jerry and I are rushing around trying to complete the last few tasks before he gets back. We have less than two weeks now until the rest of our cast fly in from New Zealand and the final rehearsal stage begins. 

There is still so much to do, Sharon is designing a new and better web site, I am working on the sound track, and Jerry Is busy 'Imagin-eering' the ultimate tent-tetris trailer of glory.. Here is his challenge.. Fit one big top circus tent, King poles, side poles, pegs and all as well as foam matting, a ladder or two, 30 hula hoops, 3 pairs of stilts, a unicycle, 18m of carpet ring mat, 14 small ring boxes and our fence on ONE 6x4.. 

And I think he has done it folks! Photos coming soon!

 

Waltzing with sledgehammers

 

It is a delicate form of dance that one invents when a sledgehammer meets the gentle flesh of fingers.. It involves a complex series of steps, leaps, aggressive marching, and grabbing at ones hand.. It also has an expressive facial distortion and sometimes  even a vocal element. This, my friends, is the Sledgehammer waltz.

 

Jerry helps with laying out and lacing up the big top

 

Luke battles the rock hard ground to beat in our peg-line

I must admit, that like most of the gender stereotypes might suggest - I am somewhat more familiar with the stardust of the show than the sledgehammers. In the last two circus jobs, I was assigned to marketing and performance for the majority of the time, and although enjoyed pulling the big top down after the show, had done a very limited number of put-ups.
Needless to say, although it was super exciting to be putting up our own circus tent - I think my talents are a little more suited to sewing on fringing and sequins!

 

Lacing the top of the tent together

 

Jerry tensioning the ropes

 

 

Heaving tent skins into position

 

The day was highly successful, despite the brief 'sledgehammer dance' interludes. The big top went up ok, and it was a great feeling to see it standing. We only had the field for a day, and a storm was threatening overhead - so we didn't put up the blue and white striped walls which will really finish off the look of the tent, but you can imagine what it will look like from some of the photos here.

Five weeks until we launch!