Circus Archives - Matilda Marseillaise

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Sydney Festival 2023 starts on Thursday and there are three events with French and francophone links for you to attend. Read on to find out about the events from Africa, Canada and Switzerland at Sydney Festival 2023.

Afrique en Cirque

Kalabanté Productions

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta

6-8, and 11-15 January

Yamoussa Bangoura grew up in Conkary, Guinea, where his first foray with circus began. He worked his way up through some of the best circus companies in the world before opening his own in 2007. Based in Montreal, Canada, Yamoussa Bangoura’s Kalabanté Productions develops young African circus talent and sharing it with the world.

Afrique en Cirque at Sydney Festival 2023 will see daring acrobats perform authentic and original choreography to the sound of African instruments including the djembe and the kora. Music is as much a part of this showcase of African talent as are the acrobats climbing to dizzying heights.

Ticket prices:

Premium Full Price – $79
A Reserve Full Price – $59
A Reserve Concession – $53
B Reserve Full Price – $39
B Reserve Concession – $35
+ booking fee

Afrique en Cirque Dance and Drumming workshop

Kalabanté Productions

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta

10 January 5:30pm & 7pm

Special guests from the Afrique en Cirque production will lead this African drumming and dance workshop where they encourage people of all levels of practice to experience the liberating joy of dance.

Tickets cost $10 + booking fee for this one hour long workshop.

ROOM

James Thierrée

Rosylyn Parker Theatre, Walsh Bay

11-14, 16-18, 20-22 and 24-25 January

Swiss-born James Thierrée’s latest work is his most ambitious yet. With his Compagnie de Hanneton he creates a surreal theatrical imagining complete with dance, mime, acrobatics, music and incredible stage-effects.

In this room, the ceiling spins, mannequins come to life, bodies and instruments become one. The walls sing, the room howls with laughter and then disappears into the distance. In this room, everything is possible, everything comes together and then descends into beautiful chaos.

You may have seen James Thierrée’s previous shows at Sydney Festival in earlier years: Au Revoir Parapluie and Tabac Rouge.

Ticket prices:

Premium Full Price – $129
A Reserve Full Price – $109
A Reserve Concession – $100
B Reserve Full Price – $79
B Reserve Concession – $70
Under 30 – $49
+ booking fee

KEY INFO FOR SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2023

WHAT: Sydney Festival 2023

WHERE: various venues across Sydney

WHEN: 5 – 29 January 2023

HOW: Purchase tickets via the links above or see the website for the full program

HOW MUCH: Ticket prices vary depending on the event. Sydney Festival also always has some free events and installations.

For other events happening with French and francophone links happening in Australia this month, check out our What’s on in January.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Cirque Bon Bon opened at Adelaide Cabaret Festival Wednesday night. Audiences were in for a treat with Australia’s, and arguably the world’s, premier circus artists dazzling and delighting us.

Women in baby pink leotards and shawls, one in matching knee-high feathered legs arrive on stage with men all dressed in black. The show opens with a dance number.

Mario, Queen of the Circus (read our interview with him here) is the MC of the show, strutting on stage with his cropped, fitted leather jacket, leather pants and topped off with a leather cap. A huge fan of Queen, his acts all performed to Queen songs. His signature act, juggling to Another one bites the dust is even better when witnessed live (but YouTube of it here).

He engages with, and warms up the crowd, even pulling up two “unwilling” audience members (he jokes that he wasn’t looking for willing volunteers) to assist him on stage throughout the performance.

A true variety show with jaw-dropping aerial feats, contortionism, dance and roller-blading, Cirque Bon Bon has something for everyone. They had the audience in the palm of their hand – we would cringe occasionally, fearful that the performer may fall from their very high position way above the stage (kudos to the spectacular male aerial performer, particularly the coat-rack number) or in awe at the skill of the performers. The duo on rollerblades performed feats, and bent in ways we didn’t know possible.

A simple set saw props rolled out as they were needed but the lighting added to the spectacular nature of the show. You easily forgot you were in the Space Theatre.

Every single act in the show was as good as the last but we felt a little sorry for the fantastic man with his large hoop who followed the extraordinary contortionist archer as that was a very hard act to follow. Those familiar with La Soirée will remember the sexy bath man who performs aerial tricks above and over the water filled bath. Always an audience favourite, it was the perfect number to close out the delicious night that was Cirque Bon Bon.

Cirque Bon Bon has only four remaining shows, across today and tomorrow, and we highly recommend you get along to see it. You won’t be disappointed!