inspiration day

It’s my birthday and we go out with Ania to see the Business. Standing in the foyer of the Arts Centre Black Box waiting to go in and Luke is talking to Ania about sound recordings – what equipment do we need to record interviews that we can then use as soundtracks for the show? Ania talks about mikes and mixers Luke can plug into his mac and it sounds expensive. We are going to start the interviews soon and we don’t really have the money to buy equipment. Maybe the digi recorder Alex has taken to Japan?

The show is beautiful. We are in stitches and then heartbroken. Their clowns are so delicate and each moment of connection with the audience is a delight. Jono loves it (perhaps because it has no tricks. Jono has very little patience for tricks – he thinks you may as well go watch a gymnastics competition).

My favourite moment is when the voice-over announces that they have only 5 minutes until the concert starts. There is a rush of ridiculous happy busy-ness. I love it because I love the question ‘what does a clown think is the right thing to do at a given moment?’ And one clown thinks the most important thing is to brush his teeth and another thinks he really has to complete knitting the Finnish flag.

I talk about it with Luke in terms of the Wiped Out costumes. Because the questions is ‘what does a clown think it’s really important to wear and carry when you are about to catch a plane to the tropics?’ and there is so much scope for glorious ridiculousness…

Walking up Swanston street to Cookie for dinner, Christy and Ania talk Oz. Ania is doing the music for the Circus Oz show and they are in creative development at the moment (‘it’s ten til six every day, ‘ she says, ‘which is pretty much nine to five for artists’). All the acrobats are learning a brass instrument because brass band is part of the show. ‘Some of them have never played an instrument before,’ she says, ‘they are doing so well.’ Its fun to know Ania is doing that work and exciting that she’ll be bringing that experience to our projects.

Imagining her being on tour with Oz somewhere in Europe and emailing us sound-clips she has put together for Kapow!

No news on whether we’re really getting evicted or not