Capital of Culture 2024

Successful world premiere: Whirling bodies and music

Scene from "Urlicht" at the Theater- und Kongresshaus Bad Ischl.(Bild: Edwin Husic)

Bad Ischl was the circus capital for one evening as the production "Urlicht" - a collaboration between Australia and Austria - was performed here for the first time. The setting was the Capital of Culture 2024, and the acrobats from Brisbane, the Tyrolean cult band Franui and 15 young artists from the Salzkammergut region received rapturous applause.

How many times did you have to hold your breath that evening! The Australian acrobatic group Circa gave the audience at the Theaterhaus in Bad Ischl moments full of tingling and amazement. Director Yaron Lifschitz staged a revue of acts on the small stage that focused extremely on physical tension, precision and daring courage.

The actors wowed the audience with human pyramids up to four men and women high, whirling rope and hoop acrobatics and pole dancing on ribbons. Everything was unsecured, but the Australians got every move and every facial expression right. Incidentally, an Upper Austrian is also a member of the artistic group, as we have already reported.

The Company Circa and up-and-coming artists from Bad Goisern(Bild: Edwin Husic)

Tyrolean cult musicians played Mahler
Seriousness had priority. This gave way to the musical foil provided by Franui, a world-renowned Tyrolean chamber ensemble. The musicians celebrated melancholy songs by Gustav Mahler from the cycles "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen", "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" and "Rückert-Lieder" with harp, violin and many wind instruments in the typical Franui sound between classical, folk music and jazz.

The young artists were also expressive
The historical-looking costumes by Libby McDonnell were a perfect match. The music set an elegiac, slower tempo, which was taken up by the artistic performances, reinforcing the expressive character of the performance.

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The 15 young circus apprentices, all from the region, blended in wonderfully and impressed with their professional performance and small tricks - from running on a ball or cartwheels to somersaults.

A huge round of applause for this unusual and impressive stage adventure. The Circa Company and Franui will also be showing "Urlicht" in a theater in Luxembourg next season.