Review: Lexicon (NoFit State Circus)

Lexicon might seem a somewhat inscrutable title for a circus show. In fact, it delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Created by UK-based company NoFit State to mark the 250th-anniversary of the creation of the first circus ring, it is a veritable dictionary of circus craft, spelling out a show that is as much an ode to the art form’s history as it is a statement about its continued popularity.

There are several nods to circus of the past, not least the venue itself: a quintessential Big Top (albeit with an unintentionally B-Movie UFO vibe exterior), erected for this MIAF season adjacent to the city’s arts precinct in the Botanical Gardens. With sawdust on the floor and the rich scent of popcorn in the air, it’s a space that has an evocative power that somehow leapfrogs personal experience; even if you’ve never set foot in a traditional Big Top, you’re sure to understand the dynamic of its energy all the same.

There’s historical precedent enshrined in the mechanics of the show too. The computerised, fully mechanical riggings commonplace in modern theatres are replaced by the block and tackle pulleys of yesteryear, complete with human counterweights. There’s nostalgia of a slightly more whimsical mode in the production’s design; the kind of late 19th-century hokum you’d find in a Baz Luhrmann movie.

Add to this a superb live band, and the stage is set for a revue of circus hijinks that showcases the most traditional crafts, spiced-up with contemporary flourishes. The mark of truly top-shelf circus is the tension between imminent failure and triumphant success, and throughout, this is achieved with a skill that could hardly be bettered. A diablo act spins pure poetry out of the whips of a string; the equine procession and the archetypal 'clown car' are fused into a modern equivalent found in an absurdly beautiful cavalcade of bikes, trikes and unicycles; an accident-prone fire juggler toes a fine line between family entertainment and self-immolation. One especially impressive sequence combines some of the most extraordinary one-wheeled balancing you’re every likely to see with the simple act of getting dressed.

And in isolation, it’s hard to fault any specific element of Lexicon. But Aussie theatregoers are well-served for circus, and perhaps because of the level of dramatic sophistication brought to our stages by homegrown exponents like Circa and Circus Oz, NoFit State’s lack of theatrical intent leaves this show as a whole feeling woefully without direction. Occasional sideways glances at implied narratives only act to highlight the need for a greater degree of theatrical unity, and what should be the production’s coup de theatre – while undoubtedly beautiful in its delivery – serves so little purpose to the broader architecture of the show that it ends up seeming all but superfluous. 

This doesn't outright scuttle the production, nor does it betray the level of individual talent found in its cast; audiences can certainly expect to leave with a smile on their face. But while it's unlikely anyone could accuse Lexicon of failing to entertain, whether it can deliver anything beyond that is another matter.

Melbourne International Arts Festival presents Lexicon until 21 Oct.