Former Circa! and La Clique performer Jess Love brings her Circus Australia Award winning debut solo show to London’s Southbank for six performances, filling a macabre playground replete with hopscotch, blood spatter, rollerskates and broken glass in this visually enchanting, funny and surreal show about the mixing the innocent and the sinister. We caught up with Jess ahead of her first performance.
And The Little One Said is at The Underbelly Festival 13th – 18th June 2017
And The Little One Said is coming to The Underbelly Festival, what can you tell us about the show?
It’s been described as a cross between Chaplin and David Lynch. That makes me happy. It’s funny and dark and stupid and sad and full of tricks, all at the same time. I love it.
We hear it’s a little macabre, what made you want to do that kind of show?
When I made the show I was really loving the artist Mark Ryden and I wanted to make a show that made an audience feel how I felt when I witness his amazing images. Also, I was going through a tough time and it made sense to make something that reflected that time of despair.
What inspired you to be a circus performer?
When I was a kid I loved showing off. I was a gymnast and a clown by nature. I loved making people laugh and gasp… when I discovered circus suddenly life made sense!
The show was first performed in your native Australia and received an honourable mention for Best Circus Show at Melbourne Fringe, have you changed anything for London?
Actually, it also won the Circus Australia Award in that premier season and no nothing has changed, except for the fact that I now have a slight English twang!
You’re performing on your own, do you miss having other performers around you?
I miss having other people taking on a part of the stress and commitment of producing a show! When you work solo you become the producer, administrator, production manager, rigger. But when it comes to being onstage, I still spend a lot of time performing with other people in other contexts so It’s nice to have my own outlet where I can do whatever I want without being concerned about anyone else. Also no one can get mad at you if you stuff up!!
How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically for a show?
I have to do a lot of preparation, lots of training and preparation for the specific tricks that the show requires and then also all the little things like organising the candy floss and badges. But I also have a very strict process of preparation which involves meditation and lists, lots of lists. Not to mention cheat days full of Netflix, pizza and beer!!!!!! Just to keep an even balance.
