Internationally famous circus troupe is coming

Circus Oz, the internationally famous contemporary circus troupe, is coming to Nelson in March.

City Council Festival Director Annabel Norman says she has wanted to bring this show to Nelson for a long time.

³Circus Oz is a fantastic show ­ it has been wowing audiences world wide for 30 years with its skilled young acrobats and aerialists, comedy acts and live music,² she said. ³I know Nelsonians are going to love this show - staging it at the end of summer is perfect timing for us.² Circus Oz will be at the Trafalgar Centre from March 19 to 22. Ms Norman said the revamped stage at the Trafalgar Centre would be ideal for the aerial and trapeze work of the acrobats.

This is contemporary circus at the top international level,² she said. ³There are no animals ­ just fast paced and quite breathtaking acrobatic performance ­ with a dash of irreverent Australian humour.

Ms Norman said Circus Oz was performing as part of the Auckland Festival and would also perform in Wellington, but Nelson was the only South Island venue. Tickets would be on sale at the end of November, making them an ideal family Christmas gift.

Circus Oz will be part of the Summer in Nelson programme, which will be published in early December. The Nelson City Council produces the Summer in Nelson events as a celebration for locals and an added attraction for visitors.

Circus Oz started in 1978, and has recently been on a 30th Birthday Bash tour of the UK. It¹s founding members were fans of traditional circus but wanted to make a new sort of show that a contemporary audience could relate to, so they added elements of rock'n¹roll, popular theatre and satire.

Since then they have toured in Australia and to 25 countries across five continents, to critical acclaim, keeping up their commitment to the original spirit of multi-skilling and anarchic but disciplined creativity. There is a team of 23 coming to Nelson, with 12 acrobats plus musicians and crew.

"From the tension of a tower of chairs balanced atop four wine bottles, to the chaotic antics of a rambunctious kangaroo mob, the energy remains high. The frequent variations in tempo and mood are assisted by the original live music. With its blend of daredevil skills, irreverent humour and social conscience, it's easy to see why Circus Oz is still going strong." Review - Melbourne Age.

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