Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, his wildly transgressive work that almost succeeded in burning down the theatre upon its premiere, erupts once more in Sacre, a new interpretation from Australia’s mighty Circa.

There is a certain logic in the marriage of circus’ raw strength and Stravinsky’s brute ceremony. Rooted in ancient tradition, the circus arts are meant to both enthrall and terrify, but there is far more than simple spectacle here. Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz gives the work a razored social edge that investigates the very nature of human experience. What does it mean to bear the weight of another body? What do we owe each other when poised on the brink of total disaster?

Supported by ten acrobatic performers and Phillipe Bachman’s score, the dispossessed and the diabolical meet in a scrum of bodies, out of which emerges a ferocious new species of beauty. At its seething heart, Sacre combines carnality with ritual to manifest a cathartic union with the divine.

Commissioned by Merrigong Theatre Company.
Co-produced by La Comete.
Co-presented with The Cultch.