Cork is set to rock with the return of Circus Extreme
A new production from Circus Extreme is coming to Ireland, with homecoming shows taking place in Cork and Dublin.
Rock it Out! brings together three worlds in one huge production – a live rock concert, world-class circus and an extreme stunt show.
Audiences can expect flying and backflipping motorcycles, breathtaking aerial performances, extreme stunts, fire, water, pyrotechnics, and spectacular special effects. All the while, a live rock band, singers, and musicians will be performing throughout the show.
It is fast and unpredictable, a 21st century circus experience designed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, wondering what could possible happen next.
For creative director Elaine Courtney, the production represents the evolution of circus entertainment that she has witnessed throughout her life. It takes the traditions she grew up with in Ireland and combining them with contemporary performance, technology, music, and some of the most spectacular stunt disciplines in the world.
A life in Irish circus
Born into the Irish circus tradition, Elaine grew up travelling with her family’s circus throughout Ireland. At just seven years old, she took her first flight on the flying trapeze while performing with a travelling circus in Cork – an early milestone in a career that would eventually take her around the world.
Elaine’s connection with Dublin also stretches back to the early days of her career. In 1997 she made her stage debut playing the title role in ‘Sleeping Beauty (Sort Of!)’ at Dublin’s Point Theatre – now the 3 Arena. The large-scale pantomime featured some of the biggest names in Irish entertainment at the time, including Twink and the late Gerry Ryan, and gave Elaine an early opportunity to take her talents from the circus ring onto one of Ireland’s major stages.
From those beginnings high above the circus ring in Ireland, Elaine’s career took her across Europe, North America, and South America, working with some of the biggest names in international circus.
Almost three decades later, Elaine now returns to Cork not as a young performer making her stage debut, but as the creative director of an international production, bringing her story full circle.
Elaine is far from the only Irish person working on Circus Extreme, so much so that she said that when the group travels around Europe, it feels like they’re working from home anyway.
“I’ve spent so much of my life travelling, performing, and creating productions around the world, but Ireland is home and it’s where everything started for me.
“To now return to Ireland with Rock it Out! is incredibly special. It really does feel like a homecoming, not only for me but for all the Irish people who are part of Circus Extreme.
“To bring the show to Cork and Dublin is something I’m incredibly proud of. We’re bringing the show home, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the reaction from Irish audiences to what is a truly world-class production,” she said.