Circa
Eternity
“Pure physical theatre, all about sheer brute strength, extraordinary dexterity and stunning skills… genuinely poetry in motion…mesmerising in its fluidity” — ArtsHub
Led by visionary director Yaron Lifschitz, globally renowned Australian contemporary circus company Circa brings their breathtaking Eternity out of the cathedrals of Brisbane into Catskill’s Lumberyard for its US premiere. Having performed in over 45 countries, the company is lauded for their “astonishing physical mastery” (The New York Times) and their continued ability to “redraw the limits to which circus can aspire” (The Age).
In this thrilling work, ten virtuosic performers push the boundaries of balance, strength, and trust, crafting breathtaking acrobatics and movement that feel at once earthly and otherworldly. Set to two monumental works of contemporary spiritual music by Arvo Pärt, Tabula Rasa and Fratres, Eternity unfolds as a 65-minute meditation on love, loss, hope, and wonder.
Here, the show is adapted for the first time to a new architecture, on the eve of a global tour. Taking place in Catskill’s soaring Lumberyard sound stage theater, the show pushes the boundaries of what we can see and understand—a poetic exploration of the human condition told through soaring lifts, suspended bodies, and moments of profound stillness. It is acrobatic theater elevated to spiritual reflection, where every breath, every movement, every note surrounds you.
Eternity is co-commissioned by Brisbane Festival and City of Newcastle’s New Annual Festival and has been performed in St. John’s Cathedral in Brisbane, Grand Theatre Groningen in the Netherlands, Freedom Festival in England, and will be at the Segerstorm Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA.
Circa is one of the world’s great performing arts companies. Since 2004, we’ve called Brisbane, Australia, home while touring the world, captivating audiences in over 45 countries and reaching more than two million people. Our award-winning performances have earned standing ovations, rave reviews and sold-out shows across six continents.
Everything we do is fuelled by our core values: quality, audacity, humanity.
We are at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus, redefining the art form by showcasing how extreme physicality can forge powerful and emotive experiences. We are relentless in the way we push boundaries, blending movement, dance, theatre and circus.
Under the visionary leadership of Yaron Lifschitz, and in collaboration with our extraordinary ensemble of circus artists, we craft a diverse array of productions that constitute “a revolution in the spectacle of circus” (Les Echos).
Each year we tour our shows across the world and premiere multiple new creations. We are a staple at prestigious festivals and venues in New York, London, Berlin and Montreal as well as throughout Queensland and across Australia.
Our extensive engagement programs, including Circa Academy, Circability and Circa Cairns (a First Nations-led circus initiative) provide access, participation and professional development outcomes. We have delivered major projects including the Creative Lead on the Commonwealth Games Festival 2018 and managing Artour for the Queensland Government.
We invite you to join us as we continue to “redraw the limits to which circus can aspire” (The Age).
Yaron Lifschitz makes shows. Big ones, small ones, and ones that defy easy categorisation. More than 80 productions have toured across six continents and played to over two million people picking up a shelf’s worth of awards including six Helpmanns, The ISPA Distinguished Artist Award and the Australia Council Theatre Award.
As CEO and Artistic Director of Circa he has brought circus to the Barbican, string quartets and acrobats to Brooklyn Academy of Music, four years of performances to Berlin and major shows to major festivals and venues around the world. He’s created strange, beautiful things in tents, concert halls, spiegeltents, and opera houses as well as cemeteries and cathedrals. His film work has appeared at the Berlin and Melbourne Film Festivals.
Yaron was the founding Director of the Australian Museum’s Theatre Unit, he has taught directing at NIDA and ATYP and has directed opera, concerts and events. In 1999 he was the first Artistic Director of Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus which, in 2004, he transformed into Circa. In 2018 he was Creative Lead of Festival 2018, the cultural program of the 21st Commonwealth Games – one of the most ambitious arts events in Queensland’s history.
At the heart of Yaron’s work is restless curiosity and a fierce belief in the power of performance to connect and transform. He describes his creations as “love letters to a species that not always easy to like”.
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble.
Eternity is co-commissioned by Brisbane Festival and City of Newcastle’s New Annual festival.
Director Yaron Lifschitz
Composer and Sound Designer Jethro Woodward
Costume Designer Libby McDonnell
Arvo Pärt recordings courtesy of the Australian Chamber Orchestra
Director and Violin Richard Tognetti
Violin Satu Vänskä (Tabula Rasa)
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Allen Moon / David Lieberman Artists’ Representatives USA, Canada, Central & South America
Shaun Comerford / Circa Commercial Projects
Wolfgang Hoffmann / Aurora Nova Worldwide booking & coordination
Yaron Lifschitz / Circa New creations & big dreams
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
