An Herstorical Perspective
Jean Taylor

One of the political aspects of the Women’s Circus is the fact that it’s part of a feminist continuum of women’s circus theatricals here in Melbourne.

‘In 1979, the Real Mighty Bonza Whacko Women’s Circus leapt through flaming hoops, trod domestic tight ropes and trained bags of reluctant washing to do tricks,’ wrote Robyn Laurie for the first issue of the Women’s Circus Newsletter in April 1991. ‘Over the next few months they metamorphasized into the Wimmin’s Circus and toured Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and places in between, leaving behind kitchens and loungerooms full of orange and plate jugglers and unashamed muscles flexing.’

During training and setting up the original Wimmin’s Circus was supported initially by women from Circus Oz. the concept was also an extension of their experiences as performers in the Women’s Theatre Group and the Australian Performing Group at the Pram Factory throughout the ‘70s. As Ollie Black wrote (WCN April 1991) ‘Rehearsals and administration were made that much more possible and practical having the Pram Factory as a base (invaluable) and being able to use the Circus Oz gym.’

Reading these accounts is a reminder of how similar the Women’s Circus is today: ‘It was a time to experiment and a time to learn, a time to share, to meet new people and to break down barriers. Our muscles grew with our enthusiasm,’ Ursula Harrison wrote about her involvement with the Wimmin’s Circus for the WCN in June 1991, ‘It was exciting working with a large group of women. There was lots of energy, laughter and support.’
‘The original Wimmin’s Circus was a group of witty and wonderful women who basically wanted to have a fun time presenting physically inspiring feminist theatre,’ Ollie Black went on to report, ‘The versatile acrobatic tumblings and powerful balance routines with all the members including myself created stunning visual puns on standard images of women. We all did everything. Absolutely Everything, as well as juggling childcare, law degrees, secretarial work, artistic careers and lovers. It was an incredible feat to stay sane let alone last for two years - all with no funding.’

The Women’s Circus then is a continuation of this tradition of combining circus skills with theatre to make a political statement about women’s energy and commitment in creatively empowering and physically challenging ways.

Or as Donna Jackson put it: (WCN October 1991) ‘I think what’s good about the circus is it’s different for each woman. Some women are here for political reasons to make a political statement. Some women are just here to learn physical skills. So I think that at different times we do address different things, but overall it is political, it is theatrical, it is circus and it is women working together in a feminist way. With this show we are not trying to hit people over the head with the message. We are bringing in humour and charm. We show women enduring things and also challenging things.’

Jean Taylor is the author of The C-Word: A Story about Cancer (2000) and co-editor of Women’s Circus: Leaping Off the Edge (1997).

From: Women’s Circus: leaping off the edge
Eds. Adrienne Liebmann, Jen Jordan, Deb Lewis, Louise Radcliffe-Smith, Patricia Sykes and Jean Taylor
pp 6-7

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