Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Of This Land On Which We Meet
Na Djinang Circus
Genre: Acrobatics, Circus, Political
Venue: Assembly Checkpoint
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Following the journey of three contemporary Australian circus artists with distinct relationships to their land; an indigenous Australian, a descendant of migrants and a descendant of colonial settlers. With prowess, heart and metaphor, contemporary Melbourne circus company, Na Djinang, uses death defying acrobatics to examine their distinct identities as Australians, and their identity to the land. Circus entertainment, land politics and compassion intertwine, and leave the audience breathless.
Review
Three circus performers introduce themselves in humorous autobiographical statements while gently rolling, bending and diving through a picture frame- thus begins the performance of “Of the Land on Which We Meet”; a dynamic, moving and acrobatic wonder. Using the circus tools of balance and equilibrium the trio supply climb over and around each other, making novel use of their strength and control. Performers walk in air using each other’s limbs as the staircase, and explore the upper regions of space with a firm grounding on each other’s shoulders. There is a calm sense of theater in their work, and one quickly sees that each new exploration between bodies has dramatic meaning- who is lifting whom and who helps (or not) is a part of the performance.
Monologues are interspersed between the movement sequences, and we come to understand that the performance is about land politics in Australia, circling back to the land acknowledgement we have all become accustomed to- and what that means to each of them. In a spectacular moment of metaphor, a tall white woman embodying the colonial settlers, walks through the air in a series of acrobatic explorations using the two other performers as her willing stepping stones. The moment one of the stepping stones attempts to deviate from support and is forced back to place, is heartbreaking. The dynamics of dominance and history of subjugation is reflected in circus-technique metaphors. Wow. Interestingly, the performers, who are all diverse body types, and ethnic make-up, show the physical work. This is not the smiling acrobatic circus of pizzaz, but rather the purposeful exploration of three highly trained individuals- One sees the foot looking for placement on the ribs, one sees the slight reciprocity and shift of weight and balance as they support each other. This actually makes the work more personal, and the drama more real.
The examination of land politics , using bodies as the vehicle of communication makes for powerful statements and an impactful journey we want to follow. The performance is well constructed, well-performed and directed. Their website defines them as a contemporary circus company that attempts to develop work that utilizes the next generation’s social and political attitudes to create work that challenges our own perceived ideas about contemporary Australian society. The performers are skilled and the metaphors strong. I left the theater feeling energized and emotionally engaged. The audience jumped to a standing ovation at the end. You cannot help but feel the joy of circus prowess watching them. Blended with the land acknowledgement physically represented in all its complexities, this is exciting and thoughtful circus/theater. The extraordinary has intent. This is an Excellent Show.