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Whimsical Wonderbolt Circus is fun, beautiful

August 18, 09

GORDON JONES
The Telegram

Terrance Littletent

If you have become accustomed to strolling over to St. Bon's to enjoy summertime circus, take note that you need to change your itinerary, since Wonderbolt is this year to be found not in that august institution but on and around the proscenium stage of Memorial University's Reid Theatre.

The show that opened on Friday past, before an audience of more than 300 excited children and adults, is called "Tricksters." But there is no trick to its success, just a mountain of inspiration, versatility and well-honed professional performance skills executed with panache by a dozen athletes, dancers, clowns, stilt-walkers, acrobats, aerialists, tumblers, jugglers, hoop twirlers, plate spinners and a youth so engrossed by his Rubik's cube that he is oblivious to the marvels surrounding him - until he in turn becomes part of the show, deftly stroking and manoeuvring a crystal globe until it seems to float in the air. A touch here of the magic of Cirque du Soleil.

An aerial gymnast descends from the ceiling, shadowed on the walls, performing athletically and balletically. To driving music, a dancer whirls through shimmering, technicolour hoops. A lissome and graceful female aerialist winds in and around and through long, parallel drapes.

A dowdy spinster is amusingly transformed into a sultry artiste in a red dress strutting her stuff to torrid instrumentation. Another spins and dances in a fiery hoop - and then adds a second for good measure. A woman sitting demurely at her bistro table, sipping white wine, leaps into a suspended hoop - revolving, twining, circling - starting tentatively, even reflectively, but ending passionately and erotically as she is possessed by the hot music.

Rivetting number

And, in a rivetting second-act number, two brothers - dancer Terrence Littletent and singer-drummer Jayson Littletent - create an astonishing dance, with luminescent hoops becoming almost animate under the blue light as they are configured and reconfigured by the master-dancer into diverse shape-altering forms, to the rhythm of compelling drum and voice accompaniment.

For the past number of years, Wonderbolt Circus has been reliably entertaining, featuring slapstick clowning and striking feats of athleticism and co-ordination.

They still hang on to these circus staples, with zany chases and antics complementing dancing, juggling and mid-air derring-do. Regular circus-goers will recognize a few of the routines from past years.

But with this show, Wonderbolt moves into a new and higher artistic dimension created by sophisticated music, lighting and choreography, by turn lyrical, whimsical or dramatic.

Sure, Wonderbolt was always fun, but it was never before so beautiful.

As is to be expected in such a physically and technically demanding show, there will always be the odd glitch: the club that gets dropped, the hoop that escapes, the diabolo that misbehaves, and on opening night the unicycle scene somehow misfired.

But such slips are few and far between, serving as occasional reminders that this is live and difficult, even when performed by experts.

Appreciative audience

It will surprise nobody, therefore, that the rousing curtain call induced the audience to express their appreciation at the end of the show by rising to their collective feet in the traditionally approved manner.

Beni Malone's Wonderbolt Circus production of "Tricksters," with the services of Andy Jones as consulting director, continues its run at the Reid Theatre until Aug. 23, commencing at 7:30 p.m.

Performers all deserve credit, in addition to the two Littletents named above. They are James Burke, Allisson Collins, Kat Finck, Beni Malone, Dash Malone, David Mercer, Josh Oliver and Anahareo White-Malone. George Morgan, Bill Brennan and the Wonderbolt Band are responsible for the live, onstage music, producing a soundscape which, together with Tom Dunphy's vivid lighting design, is such a crucial affective component of the show.

Boasting a cast of 14, the latest production from this province’s World class Wonderbolt Circus is called Tricksters. The show, unveiled for a sneak peak in St. John’s, is without disappointment. Those that grew up familiar with early Wonderbolt days have a golden opportunity to feel the magic in its purest form again and with any luck the show will eventually (and hopefully) be available on DVD. Ringmaster Beni Malone performs in his classic, beloved way; signature funny clown hips, on stilts and playing with fire – his cherished charming smile, popping out for a well timed laugh.

Beni Malone in Tricksters

Malone is joined in Tricksters by nephew Dash Malone who takes on an anime-style Zoolander appearance, living up to his name, zipping and flipping around the theatre. Also from the family clan is Anahareo White-Malone who returns home from Germany, where she’s very obviously blossomed from training and is a rising international aerialist sensation. White-Malone takes on a number of characters in the show including an uptight foreign woman milling about the audience before the show struggling to find her seat harassing ushers played by Lauren and Jeff Smyth.

That character reappears throughout the show with Champaign. For the second act, in a pencil skirt and high heals she proceeds to perform acrobatics in a hanging hula hoop dangling over the stage with white round Chinese paper lanterns floating around her.

Wonderbolt's Tricksters

Prior to that standout solo, White-Malone snuck down on white silk ribbons attached to a stage fly wearing a white mask. She was followed down by Josh Oliver in the same piece, whose aerial strength was revealed off the top of the show when he’d been lowered from a hatch in the ceiling on black canvas straps right over the audience. Both performances were beautifully executed, visually stunning and easily trigged tears for some in combination with the soundscape.

The sounds by George Morgan and Bill Brennan were nothing short of outstanding. Speaking with producers at the intermission revealed Morgan made certain percussion elements, such as a wall of more then 7 gongs. A brilliant play fight shared by Oliver and David Mercer graciously shared the spotlight with the Wonderbolt band with class when the four used plastic piping to tap familiar tunes out on their thighs.

Mercer was joined by fellow Gentleman Juggler James Burke as the main through-line characters with Beni Malone. Both attempted to lure Mercer to step away from being fixated by the formulas of a rubrics cube in lieu of their world of make-believe. The second scene featured a touching but comedic shared campfire complete with roasting marshmallows between Beni and the Gentleman Jugglers. All three strategically used vocal exclamations during times of surprise, when Oliver snuck down from a fly and grabbed Mercer by a harness made to look like the back of his shirt for example.

A number of times a big dog popped out on stage to alarm Mercer, Burke and Malone as an especially great way to draw the younger audience in. Also vaguely familiar to the youth was a character that resembled the ever-popular Mary Poppins played by Kat Finck. She impressively lowered on stage holding an umbrella by a wrist strap that was also attached to a stage fly. Finck later reappeared opening the second act with an impressive costume change and diabolo performance. The second act also heats up with an amazing two hoop performance by Allison Collins (Ali Hoops) with Smyth ushers dutifully standing by the fire exits of the Reid.

A clear audience favourite was the vignette including world champion Aboriginal hoop dancer Terrance Littletent who’s joined by Jayson Littletent for vocals and percussion. This is a particularly relevant feature as the show moves from St. John’s to the 5^th Annual Kamataukatshiuht Circus Festival. After running from August 19-23^rd at the Reid Theatre (matinees Aug 19/20 at 2:00pm), Wonderbolt will take Tricksters to Natuashush and Sheshatshiu before doing a cross-island tour of Arts and Culture Centres in February 2010 after becoming a part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympics.

Whimsical Wonderbolt Circus is fun, beautiful

Wonderbolt Wonderland