- Sarah Graham
In the early stages of Circus Oz when you were breaking new ground (and possibly not getting much money for it) how did you balance your life?

At the start I was obsessed by the idea of the circus, by learning the skills necessary; this included fixing cars and trucks, rigging, building, tent skills, as well as the obvious acrobatic ones, so when we had no actual circus work I took jobs building sets and played music and did rigging for other people. It’s very much a community activity and so I had relationships with people I was working with. Circus Oz at the start was part of the Pram Factory/Australian Performing Group which was a much larger collective theatre company which had three theatres running and other shows in other environments, so it was a rich environment.

I saw Circus Oz when I was ten years old in Melbourne (still my only trip overseas to date) it has been a production that has stayed in my memory and is something I always come back to. The freshness, wonder, comedy and excitement. Where does an idea for a production of yours start? The seed?

The ideas come from all over; mostly from performers themselves who are passionate about their own work, and then also from directors and from designers and writers sometimes; other collaborators we bring in. So one seed could have been sitting in someone’s mind for years waiting for the opportunity, another can arise on the spur of the moment in rehearsal or conversation.

Lastly what is your favourite mistake that happened on stage? And how did you get out of it?

I began the chair balancing act in Amsterdam in 1980 after a quick travel and bump-in without realising that the stage was raked. I started stacking the chairs offset up the slope while keeping the act going until it became impossible and I fell off (not entirely unexpectedly). We then did a fast speed action replay up to the point I had got to and then continued with the act.

- Damon Stenhouse
What influences do the historical traditions of circus arts continue to have upon Circus Oz?

They are constant. At least half of our source material is in the skills of trad circus (of all cultures that we know) and in the characters and archetypes of the circus. I consider Circus Oz to be a part of a long tradition, which has always had innovators. Sometimes I think what we are doing is feeding and adding to the Circus that everybody has in their head; the memory that we all get from kids’ books, from movies, from what we have actually seen.

- Kath Thomas
How did the group begin? Were there any personality conflicts or arguments in the early stages?

Circus Oz was originally a joining together of two established smaller groups and some individuals. Soapbox Circus was a political/street theatre/juggling/acrobatic group with a rock/jug band, associated with the Pram Factory. New Circus, which I was part of, specialised in circus acts (highwire, juggling, trapeze, unicycles, slackwire, clowning and self played music) and we had all worked in trad circus a bit.

New Circus itself started with three people who had done some, or all of, a theatre course at Flinders Uni, and some friends, and took trad circus as our jumping-off point.

There were plenty of personality conflicts and arguments in the early stages about what should be in the show, how the business was run, what expenses we would pay for, especially when we were all living together, or on tour. There were more personality conflicts and arguments later as the company became more established, into its second and third generations, and there are still personality conflicts and arguments. It’s part of sharing work with a diverse group of passionate people. However these days the business is extremely organised, and there is more planning and more people who are not artists, so the conflicts are less disruptive.

- Alan Preston
I saw Circus Oz in Papua in1980. The reception from Papuan people was great. Have you been back?? Looking forward to seeing you so many decades later.

We haven’t been back, unfortunately. It was a fabulous experience being part of such a diverse South Pacific Festival of Arts, amongst such a diverse culture(s). It was my first overseas experience as well and our first experience of sharing a stage with Australian indigenous performers.

- Gizelle Regan
How many seasons did the lovely Kate Cantor do as The Circus Oz ringmaster??

Just one year including Melbourne and Sydney seasons, a UK tour, and shows in Korea, Austria and Turkey among other places

- CK Smith
Hi Tim, now that Circus Oz has grown and is fully respected as a class act with a wide variety of 1st class performers do u source do acts from around the world or r they all uniquely Australian created?
The performers are almost always Australian, because we are Australian and want to show Australian work, but we have occasionally included others (one English, one Canadian, a few New Zealanders).

- Laura Cibilich
How has the show changed over the past 30 years?

An enormous amount, and at the same time not much at all. The tricks have got better, the production and lighting have got better, and it’s a little less anarchic, but a lot of the basics are very similar.

Were there many others around doing the same type of thing when you first started?

No. In Melbourne there was a very small fringe cabaret/vaudeville/comedy community and the Pram Factory, which was almost the entire fringe theatre scene.

Are there any stand out moments you've experienced with the Circus?
Hundreds! When the company performed in a glass opera house in the Brazilian rainforest.

Do you have a favourite place you've performed in?
Colombia

- Janifa Bhamji
Where is one place that you have enjoyed performing and have fond memories of?
There are so many; Arnhem land, New York City, Papua New Guinea, India, Brazil, Colombia
I’ve never personally performed in New Zealand!

- Monica Kwok
How did you get into the circus industry?

I started with a group of friends, and we taught ourselves juggling and unicycling and then went and worked in a traditional family circus (as truck drivers and tent hands, not performing). We picked people’s brains for knowledge and tricks and then started a small street circus then kept going.

Where did the idea of Circus Oz come from?

We just thought it would be good to start an up-to-date version of the circus. From a love of the existing one, ideals about “popular theatre” and optimism about political and cultural change.

How long does it normally take to prepare for a world tour?

It takes a couple of years to organise the bookings, a few months organising the production elements, and several months every year specifically on the show which does Australian seasons as well as the tour.

- Millie Thomas
Where do you get your inspiration from for your shows?
I think it comes from anywhere and everywhere. Some arises from training and immersion in the culture that is the Circus, some from movies, from art, from politics, from the world.

- Clare Scott
Who designs the shows?
We have worked with various designers over the years who design the backdrops and band-stage and other decoration along with input from directors and company. We have had the one costume designer for almost all of the 30 years. The lighting operator usually designs the lighting, but sometimes there is a separate lighting designer.

How much rehearsal time is there before a new show begins?
These days 4-6 weeks of ‘The Lab’ or creative development and training for the new performers, then 8 weeks with the full company.

How do you audition/select new performers? And where are they from?
Usually we would have a small casting committee who head-hunt applicants from people we know of and the wider circus, theatre and music communities in Australia (mostly Melbourne). Sometimes we run auditions, but we like to have seen people performing. Some have come through the Flying Fruit Fly Circus (a children’s circus) and these days quite a few have trained at NICA (the Melbourne circus school). Some have done both. But many have made their own path and we like to have people with a variety of backgrounds.

What's the worst injury any performer has suffered, (especially you)?
We have a really good track record for safety so we’ve had very few serious injuries. The worst was a broken neck; but the nature of the injury meant that was she was back performing a year later. For me the worst has been a badly shattered heel-bone from a high fall in a strong wind.

You say the music is originally composed and performed for the shows - by
whom, and is the soundtrack available for purchase?
The music is almost all composed by the musicians who play it; some written by one person and collaboratively developed and some collectively. Recordings are available with our other merchandise when we tour, and also from our website www.circusoz.com

Every show has behind-the-scene disasters, or some that are more public.
What's been the most memorable for you?
Our truck was once stuck in a cyclone in Western Australia and we had to go on and do a show before the costumes and equipment arrived by raiding the local costume hire shop and borrowing circus equipment!

- Donna Chapman
I remember when Circus Oz members lived in Beta House, on King St, Newtown Sydney, I lived in Alpha House next door, do you remember me?

I had a workshop at Beta house in 1983; of course I remember you.

Is Circus OZ still a "common equity Co-operative"? If so can you tell me the benefits of this structure?, if not why was this changed?

It changed because people’s relationships with the organization changed. People wanted more surety about when they worked and how they would be payed, and where their responsibility ended. For reasons associated with taxation and insurance and funding, the Circus has always been a not-for-profit company, but initially it was run collectively, and gradually changed to a more standard structure.

- The Big Idea Editor
What’s your big idea for 2009?
What happens when you dress a Circus Oz cast in formal creations and then allow chaos and mayhem to ensue?