Circus performance and feminism might seem like an unlikely combination. But, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus is bringing its newest show, ‘Girls With Altitude’ to Parramatta, and they’re reminding us that the superheroes of tomorrow are female.
‘Girls With Altitude’ is an all-female youth circus show unlike anything that the company has done before.
For 18-year-old Tess Spry, who has been a part of the circus’ academic program for 11 years, losing the boys meant stepping up and moving from the top to the bottom of the pyramid. But, she said that this only emphasises the show’s feminist message.
“I’ve never worked on a show with just girls before,” she said.
“I think it’s really exciting because it enabled us to try a lot of different skills. We got to be on the bottom of the pyramid, and I think it’s really great that wherever we are in the show, it’s always showcasing the girls’ abilities, and that the little girls have just as much ability as the older, stronger ones.”
Alongside the performers’ world-class skills will be animated cartoons by celebrated Australian artist, Judy Horacek.
“We had a lot of fun with Judy’s cartoons – they’re very whimsical and funny – but I also really like that they share a really strong, feminist message within them,” Tess said.
“One of the things that’s the best about her cartoons, is that they help to flip familiar narratives, like ‘you play like a girl’. It’s typically used as an insult, especially within the sporting industry, but within her cartoons, that saying is changed to something positive that inspires girls of all ages instead.”
Having just started their tour with the show, the show’s young performers have been ecstatic to share their passions for both circus and feminism.
“It’s exciting to take the message of female empowerment out of Albury-Wodonga and share it to other young girls,” Tess said.
“We had some little girls in the audience in our last Griffith show, and it was really exciting to see how inspired they were.”
But, despite their personal ties to the show, Tess notes that it isn’t just for girls.
“It’s also about talking to the boys about appreciating how amazing and equally talented the girls can be in everything, and celebrating girls and young women for being as strong and powerful as we are,” she said.
‘Girls With Altitude’ will be on at Riverside Theatres from Wednesday, April 13. To book, call 8839 3399.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.