It's Not For Everyone
In the (dying) tradition of circus, old acrobats become clowns and continue to work into older age. ‘It’s Not For Everyone’ commences with this pretence, then careers off into an absurd indulgence of low-brow humour.
As the show unfolds, the travesty becomes progressively more expressionistic; the clown personas erode until they become elemental. Dirt.
Despite their belligerence, Acrobat have won numerous bourgeois awards internationally.
"...Feats of remarkable, almost impossible physicality combine with minimal dialogue to shine a small beam of truth onto the dark side of the status quo" Kate Rotherham, RealTime Arts.
"Acrobat...Occupy a special if unusual place in the history of circus in Australia. On the one hand they are greatly admired within the performing arts community. On the other, not many Australians have had the pleasure of being thrilled by them. Their successful career has largely played out, with exceptional reviews, in Europe" Keith Gallasch, RealTime.
Presented by: acrobat
Acrobat have been pioneers in circus performance for 20 years. Early eponymously-named performances were intense and dense with physicality. The company toured to acclaim internationally. In 2002, Acrobat came to the Adelaide Fringe; audiences shoe-horned in to witness the brutal spectacle.
After a run of difficult life events, acrobat emerged with 'Smaller Poorer Cheaper’ in 2006, a profound performance of dark humour, reflecting on 3 trying years. The performance was much lauded and the company spent most of it’s time working in Europe.
‘Propaganda’ followed -a conflicted mix of idealism and cynicism that cemented the company’s reputation for disregarding convention, yet maintaining a place in major international presenting houses. Though self-derisive, a parallel sincerity added to the riddle of the performance.
'It's Not For Everyone' is Acrobat’s current manifestation, not readily described as circus. It is the result of 2 decades of nurturing quirk and idiosyncrasy. It is unique.