360 Allstars

If you find the idea of the circus a little bit passé, you’ll want to check out 360 Allstars before you write the idea off completely. “The idea is that we’re trying to reinvent the circus”, explains director and music maestro Gene Peterson, “and replace traditional circus art-forms with contemporary art-forms. All of these art-forms have that urban twist.”

This means replacing acrobats with BMX daredevils, traditional clowns with B-boys and your typical circus sounds with “live looping” – in which a soundscape is created and looped together using just a voice on a mic, a guitar effects pedal, and a loop station. “It’s more of an urban physical theatre piece; if anything…it’s a full-scale production and a full-scale theatre piece.” Peterson says, with an emphasis on rotation – involving bodies, bikes, basketballs and even sounds.

With an all-star cast sourced from all over the world, 360 Allstars has enjoyed sold-out shows worldwide, including a stint on Broadway. For their first time in New South Wales, Peterson and his talented cast and crew are looking forward to bringing this high-energy show to new audiences. “It’s a fun show,” Peterson says. “We’re happy to be witnessing so many people going away happy.”

24-28 March, Glen Street Theatre, Corner of Glen Street & Blackbutts Road, Belrose. Tickets $10 – $40, www.glenstreet.com.au, 02 9975 1455.