By A Thread (Music Hall @ Assembly Rooms) is a fine display of aerial and acrobatic skills by seven of Australia’s One Fell Swoop Circus performers, using thirty metres of rope on a pulley system from which they climb and swing.
Before they began they explained that the house lights would be up during the performance, there would be some shouting, but that it was planned and part of the act, and that though it all looked pretty dangerous, they really were well trained and very safe. All to alleviate what might otherwise have been distressing for some audience members. They also paid homage to the Indigenous people of the land they were from. A very gracious start to a beautiful but sometimes terrifying show.
Terrifying, because By A Thread is just one of those shows where first of all you can hardly believe your eyes and then you’re terrified they might get it wrong and fall from a great height. Or smash their bodies. Or both.
They use each others’ bodies as walkways and climbing frames and the strength it takes to climb a rope or stretch out from it, suspended, sometimes seems easy-peasy in comparison to having to balance one another on their backs, or heads, or chests. It’s quite awe-inspiring.
There is a playfulness too, with a few words or visual expressions as well as the accompanying music. There appears to be a lot of kindness and friendship in the group, just as well really, given how much they rely upon each other. Each performer is strong and agile in their own way and, of course, play to their own strengths. And they appear to love doing so.
My one concern about By A Thread is that there’s lots of competition out there from other groups of aerial and acrobatic acts and some are Australian too. It’s hard to criticise them, they’re great and got plenty of applause throughout the show, but the show left me wondering just what you’d have to do to be outstanding in this crowded market. Perhaps there’s room for them all and each troupe will fill enough seats to make their endeavours worthwhile. In the case of By A Thread I hope so.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
