Brisbane Festival Series: Circa’s ‘Leviathan’ – Yaron Lifschitz

The Fame Reporter interviewed Artistic Director of Circa, Yaron Lifschitz ahead of their Brisbane Festival Queensland Premiere opening of their production – Leviathan at the Playhouse Theatre, QPAC from 3-12 September.

Circa’s ensemble is joined by a cast of Brisbane-based acrobats and dancers in a staggering work of scope, scale and ambition

Under the direction of Yaron Lifschitz, 36 performers defy gravity as they propel themselves across the stage, tumbling, balancing, and soaring together, as one.

Exploring the massive and unpredictable energies that are unleashed in a civilisation careening toward an unknown fate, Leviathan offers hope in these complex times. Connecting the local with the global, it celebrates what we can achieve when we work together.

The dramatic power and extreme skill of Circa’s trademark acrobatics thrillingly expose the tension between the mass and the individual in this deeply moving and physically stunning show.

Yaron has directed over 60 productions including large-scale events, opera, theatre, physical theatre, and circus. His work has been seen in 40 countries and across six continents by over one million people and has won numerous awards including six Helpmann awards and the Australia Council Theatre Award.

He is currently Artistic Director and CEO of Circa, and was Creative Director of Festival 2018: the arts and cultural program of the 21st Commonwealth Games. In 2020 Yaron will have directed the world’s first acrobatic staging of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and circus creations in collaboration with the Queensland Opera, Brandenburg Orchestra and Melbourne Symphonic Orchestra.

We talked to Yaron about the upcoming Queensland Premiere of Circa’s new show ‘Leviathan’, how excited they are to be performing live again, how important the arts are in times of hardship and more.

See our interview below!

Welcome to The Fame Reporter Yaron, as the Queensland Premiere and part of the Brisbane Festival, what was the inspiration behind Leviathan?
It is a show that brings together ideas of scale, mobs, power, structure, freedom, oppression, individuality and the group.

It is inspired by the world around me and the wonderful artists I get to work with.

What was the rehearsal process like at Circa, especially during this time?
Careful, with lots of hand sanitized. We do things roughly normally meaning warming up, learning skills, working through the show, creating new parts. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with living pieces and you don’t know the picture until you finish it. And we are doing that now, with a lot more hand sanitizer than normal!

What can audiences expect from this show?
I think the only way to find out is to buy a ticket. Each Circa production is different. This one has 36 people, it mixes community members with our acrobats.

It has live video and a great score and of course, excellent acrobatics.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
Can’t pick one. Moments in shows are like children – you love them all, even if you aren’t always friends.

What have you missed most about live performance?
Sitting with other people in a dark room, sharing the empathy of our breath.

What 3 performers dead or alive would you love to have a dinner party with?
Leonard Cohen, Billie Holiday and Pina Bausch.

What importance do you think the arts and live entertainment play in times of hardship? Hopefully they give us hope and creative resilience.