They cut down trees, they skip and jump, but they don’t press wildflowers. They also don’t put on women’s clothing, but perhaps they hang around in bars.
Now that the obligatory Monty Python reference is out of the way, we can introduce Cirque Alfonse – the wood-chopping, whip-cracking and log-throwing circus family that’s sawing its way onto the Riverside Parramatta stage as part of next year’s Sydney Festival. We caught up with Antoine Carabinier-Lépine to chat about the show, Timber!, and how his family became an axe-wielding circus troupe.
Hailing from a rural village over an hour out of Montreal, Carabinier-Lépine’s family has a past steeped in tradition and folklore. At its centre is the deep-seeded farming heritage that provided inspiration for Cirque Alfonse, which injects music, dancing, storytelling and even cooking into its shows.
“The show is a tribute to our lumberjacks, back in the day when they were going in the camp during the long winters,” says Carabinier-Lépine. “We tried to transform the lumberjack skills into circus, and it’s why we juggle with axes, jump over big saws, log rolling, et cetera.
“With my sister we grew up in the middle of thewoodsat my parents’ place in Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez – a really small village where the tradition of Quebec folk music is still really alive. The music is very important. We have three live musicians onstage with us.”
In regards to the thematic nature of the shows, Carabinier-Lépine says, “It was a good subject to transform into circus – to play with the dangerous instruments that they were using. In a way, doing circus is dangerous like the work they were doing in thewoods.”
He also stresses the importance of family and tradition for Cirque Alfonse. “It felt like it’s a good part of our history to keep alive for the newest generation that never experiences that kind of life [and] how hard that life was.”
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Cirque Alfonse family is that the troupe was created by Antoine’s father, Alain, when he was 66 years old. The performers even rehearsed their first show in the woods of their family home. Now, three generations of the family are involved in the shows.
“He always wanted to be onstage his entire life, and he never got the chance for that,” says Carabinier-Lépine. “My parents have been really supportive for us and it felt just normal to give him that chance. “It’s really something special to tour with your family. Normally you are on tour with co-workers and friends. It’s something different with the family but it’s a wonderful adventure that we are so lucky to live.”
Cirque Alfonse is a celebration of traditional Québécoiseheritage – which has made the shows’ immense popularity surprising. “[The first] show was created to be performed in smaller cities in Quebec,” says Carabinier-Lépine.“It’s really about our roots and tradition. We never thought to play it worldwide! And here we are after three years of touring in 14 countries.”
The real question is, with so many saws and knives flying around, is there any genuine danger? “Without danger there is no circus for us. It’s part of the show. We had one thing that we kept in mind during the creation and it was, ‘We don’t cheat.’ So the show is completely real – everything we use is without magic or tricks. It’s part of the fun, yes, but we are still stressed during every show, because we have had some injuries, unfortunately. But the show must go on!”
Timber! as part of Sydney Festival 2015 is playing atRiverside Theatres fromFriday January 9 – Sunday January 18, tickets online.
