Richard Peakman - Circus 1903
Photo: Ken Leanfore
In 2016 the Sydney Opera House was transformed into a magical circus big top for the world premiere of Circus 1903. Now after 7 years of touring the world, evolving & maturing Circus 1903 is set to make a thrilling return to its birthplace. Ahead of this return, Pario spoke with Associate Director Richard Peakman about his journey with Circus 1903 & the journey of the show itself over the past 7 years.
Running Away With The Circus
From a very early age, it seemed Richard was perhaps destined to be a part of Circus 1903. As he explained, "I grew up doing gymnastics before I transitioned into dance training... so for as long as I can remember, I've been associated with the theatre & performing arts."
On this idea of destiny or fate, Richard elaborated further, "I think I was always destined to rub shoulders with the circus... Obviously, I'm ambitious & I've got things that I would like to do, fulfil or achieve but I do think it's kind of all mapped out for us. I mean we have a hand in manipulating our journey, but I do think it's definitely a bit of fate & destiny coming together as well."
Given his background in gymnastics, dance & theatre Richard was the perfect person to work alongside his friend & the Director of the show, Neil Dorward. Not only does Richard have the professional experience & skills for the role he has a unique appreciation for the performers.
"I've always had a major appreciation for gymnastics & acrobatics," said Richard. "Obviously, that's lent itself beautifully to the work that I do with circus & the admiration that I have for all of our wonderful circus stars that I've had the pleasure of working with."
Embracing His Inner Circus Clown
In Richard's role as the Associate Director, he takes on several roles & duties. From the initial conception stage of the show before its world premiere to maintaining the show & to remounting the show in venues all around the globe.
For Richard, he likened it to being "like a circus clown" who helps get the plates spinning and then has to keep those plates all spinning to avoid catastrophe.
Celebrating The Golden Age Of Circus
Regarding the show, Circus 1903 is a show for all ages & demographics. When asked to describe the show Richard told a story that perfectly surmised what makes Circus 1903 special.
"In our original cast, we had a sixth-generation circus artist who did the high wire. As we were rehearsing she became very emotional & started to cry, so I rushed over thinking she may have hurt herself or been injured," Richard recalled. "That was when she told me, 'No, I'm just emotional because this is the ultimate love letter to my family.'"
Circus 1903 can present itself as this love letter to the golden age of circus by stripping everything back to the raw elements at the heart of the show.
"We have an appreciation for human skill, feat, endeavour & talents," explained Richard. "Obviously, it's enhanced y beautiful, exquisite costume design & the most luscious score by the Prague Philharmonic. But at its core, it's just amazing acrobatics, death-defying circus acts & human ability without gimmicky special effects."
Returning To An Iconic Home
With the upcoming return to the Sydney Opera House, we asked Richard how special it was to be returning to such an iconic venue.
"You actually can't put into words how special it is. There are very few places that are such an iconic venue or monument that live up to or even exceed your expectations when you see them up close," answered Richard. "I still have to pinch myself to believe that I'm lucky enough to be working on a project that gets to come back & perform in such a venue. It really is a top 3 venue for me, right alongside the London Palladium & Madison Square Garden... I can't say enough, it simply takes your breath away."
Follow Circus 1903 creative journey on social media at: @Circus1903
Follow Richard’s creative journey on social media at: @Richard_Peakman
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