A double bill from some of the very talented graduates of Te Auaha’s now sadly defunct Circus Course, these two shows are aimed at audiences of all ages. The first piece BORED, performed by Katelyn Reed and Connor Leech, takes the idea of boredom as its starting point. This in itself is a huge challenge; how can you make boredom interesting and engaging to an audience? Unfortunately the show doesn’t quite answer this question.

By using boredom as a central premise you run the risk of the show lacking any momentum or ‘in’ for the audience. Reed, as the central character, spends a lot of time at the beginning of the show doing virtually nothing, occasionally being interested in a white ball or a hat before succumbing to boredom again and thus losing any dynamism or drive. Leech’s entrance (as Reed’s imaginary friend) does little to improve this and the audience spends a lot of time waiting for something to happen. There is no real narrative structure to the piece and Reed continually returns to a place of boredom after almost every individual act. There is no narrative build or clear shape and as a result the circus work feels a little mechanical, and, despite the skills of the performers, fails to spark.

Overall, whilst the premise is intriguing, the piece would have benefited from a tighter narrative structure and stronger characterisation in order to better hold the individual acts and showcase the solid work of the performers.

The second piece on the bill, The Little Clown That Fell to Earth, is a much stronger piece. Booth the Clown plays a weird little red alien seen at the beginning of the show travelling through the stars in a UFO. Booth’s endearing clown personality and character are apparent from the outset.

The narrative as such is simple but clear. Once on Earth, Booth’s discovery of, and interactions with, everyday objects – a feather, a lamp, three chairs – have the children (infallible barometers of the success of any show) in the audience laughing and squealing with delight. The performer’s formidable skills as an acrobat and clown are seamlessly woven into a clever little story about an alien’s short visit to Earth (including a very funny and satisfying love story). Booth’s final ascension back into the sky at the end had many happy audience members waving goodbye to a talented little clown.

This double bill is a great show for the whole family. You’ll never look at a floor lamp the same way again. 

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