House of Circus takes centre stage
This Saturday, The Everyman will undergo a transformation, merging the artistry of the circus with the captivating world of drag in one 60 minute performance.
House of Circus promises to be a celebration of love, diversity, and creative self-expression where the audience goes on a feelgood journey, experiencing joy, glitter, fears and fights. The creative minds behind the show are Germain Charlat and Nick van der Heyden, both studied at the Academy for Circus and Performance Art in the Netherlands. The pair clicked because of their shared artistic vision and ideas and developed a distinctive style of performing by incorporating skills such as static trapeze, hand balancing, clowning and drag.
Speaking to the Cork Independent, the pair explain their inspiration for the show. “As artists we are always trying to find ways to express ourselves, and circus is very receptive to fusing with other art forms. Nick had performed for two years in Ibiza where there was a lot of theatricality going on,” they say.
“Germain started drag alongside the practice of clowning, and he slowly merged the clown and the drag into a strong persona in his shows. Since we had these two passions we started to think about how we could combine them. It started to take off from there,” they added.
Over time they developed the House of Circus performance which will have its international premier in Cork, something that Nick and Germain say they are excited about. “We are getting very positive vibes from Cork and cannot wait to share our performance with you. We hope to connect and bring people together and celebrate love and diversity,” they say.
For those attending House of Circus, what can they expect? “It is a show that spreads a positive message of acceptance,” they declare.
“Communication with our audience is important, we like to engage with them before, during and after the show. We know not everyone is familiar with drag, so we wanted to create a performance to introduce it in an accessible way to people that may have never seen drag before. It is a place where anyone is welcome and everyone can feel important,” they explain.
Nick and Germain say that like all artforms drag is about creative self expression. It can serve as a fantasy, for entertainment, or even serve as a platform for conveying political messages.
As LGBTQI+ artists, Nick and Germain emphasise the personal importance of showcasing a performance like House of Circus."Nowadays, queer people are under constant pressure," they reflect. "Being able to perform a show that celebrates queer beauty is also a way to show the world that we are here and we have a legitimate place in the world."
The pair say one of their aims with House of Circus is to show that the art form of drag is open to everyone, regardless of age or background. They say that they hope the show will provoke thought without dictating what to think, allowing the audience to form their own interpretations.
House of Circus will be at The Everyman Theatre on 16 September, tickets can be found at PitchdFestival.ie.
Pitch’d Circus and Street Arts Festival is taking place from 11-24 September and the Cork Independent are proud media partners.