Capital of Culture 2024

World premiere with “Urlicht” of acrobatics and music

From Australia to Austria: Circa Contemporary Circus from Brisbane(Bild: Paul Bourdrel)

"With 'Urlicht', we want to create an exciting and moving symphony of bodies and music," says Yaron Lifschitz. The Australian director is coming to Bad Ischl with his circus company "Circa" to stage a world premiere in the Capital of Culture. Young people from Goisern are also taking part.

The whole world will be watching Bad Ischl on Saturday, when the first performance of "Urlicht. A Primal Light" will take place at the Theaterkongress: Australian artists perform a scenic journey with Tyrolean musicians and "circus apprentices".

The "ingredients" are unusual: songs by Gustav Mahler are reinterpreted by the ten-piece band "Franui" from a village in East Tyrol. Franui see themselves as a "transformer station" between classical music, folk music, jazz and contemporary chamber music.

Franui from East Tyrol(Bild: Raffaela Proell)

Young "circus apprentices" from the Salzkammergut region(Bild: Michael Koerner)

Circus on the Betterbühne
What Franui does with Mahler, Circa does with the circus. "Recomposing from tradition, respectfully and innovatively," says director Yaron Lifschitz.

Daredevil scenes are expected
The music is the backdrop for the daring feats of the internationally renowned artist company from Brisbane, Australia, which will be performing for the first time with the Goisern "circus apprentices", who call themselves the GmC lighthouse company. Rehearsals have been taking place at the Neue Mittelschule Bad Goisern since March.

Only one more performance
Because the premiere on Saturday, April 6 is completely sold out, there will be another performance on Sunday, April 7 at 3 pm. But by then, the unique musical event as part of the Salzkammergut 2024 Capital of Culture in Ischl will unfortunately be over. However, further performances are being planned with co-production partners in Luxembourg and Spoleto, Italy, among others.