Review: Excursions
Picture (L to R): Eric Roeting and Aline Chapet-Batlle (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
One of the many great things about Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival is the chance to see newly created works, in spaces other than a traditional ‘black box’ theatre. Although Aline Chapet-Batlle (A Line In The Air) and Eric Roeting have been producing circus and live music together for over seven years, Excursions is their first full-length ‘duo’ show performing. And where better to see this world premiere than at the home of Vulcana Circus.
Excursions features the daydreaming of a bored office worker, who takes little ‘excursions’ that showcase Chapet-Batlle’s aerial, balance and bubbles circus skills—including impressive work on, below, through and above the aerial hoop. Roeting portrays key characters throughout the piece: as the demanding boss and the ‘evil’ money-maker (who just keeps bringing more piles of paper for processing), the playful partner, and the lazy cleaner. Most importantly, Roeting is responsible for the unique Excursions soundtrack—mainly when playing the guitar in what producers CAJ Entertainment describe as ‘a rich palette influenced by jazz, rock, pop, flamenco, and bossa nova.’
Picture: Excursions (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Picture: Eric Roeting (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Picture: Aline Chapet-Batlle (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Picture: Aline Chapet-Batlle (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Picture: Aline Chapet-Batlle (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Chapet-Batlle is a skilled circus performer, demonstrating great aerial hoop and silks, and presenting a charming ‘pas de trois’ with the guitar-playing Roeting and Tetra (‘my unique ground-based structure’). Not all of the circus relied on balance and the balletic, as Chapet-Batlle’s incorporation of the smoke-filled bubbles was a lovely start to the daydreaming moments.
Excursions is a charming show and a great idea. In future Excursions development, I hope that this talented duo might consider how they can build on the fantastical—perhaps by bringing in a third performer to create more extraordinary moments and variety (and to allow for sufficient time for rigging changes). And I suggest they consider selling the soundtrack, as I think we would all benefit in having this to hand when working through our own mundane tasks!
Picture: Eric Roeting and Aline Chapet-Batlle (Credit: Creative Futures Photography)
Audience information: The 2024 Anywhere Festival Brisbane program includes only three performances of Excursions (19-21 July 2024, all 7pm) at Vulcana Arts Hub, 420 Lytton Rd, Morningside. Tickets $27-$30 (plus $3 ticket fee). All ages. 45 minutes.
The reviewer attended the 19 July 2024 7pm performance.