Montreal is a renowned circus city, along with dance and theatre. Combining all three, Mike Edward and Eve Gordon, co-artistic directors of New Zealand’s pre-eminent circus company The Dust Palace, are delighted to return to their favourite city with The Goblin Market. This striking show celebrates the female gaze in its exploration of sexuality and the power of sisterhood through double trapeze, mask, acrobatics, film, aerial work, music and spoken word. After wowing audiences last November, it returns to Centaur Theatre for three nights only- Sept. 27-29. Contains nudity and adult themes.
Spring-boarding from Christina Rossetti’s iconic poem “Goblin Market”, this fantastical, contemporary circus re-telling of the seminal Victorian work is visually stunning with a dynamic soundtrack. The bizarre tale will captivate and draw you in as you follow two sisters through temptation, addiction, sacrifice and eventual salvation. Here, delicious circus is precariously balanced with gritty performances and candid story telling. This is a boutique circus show with Southern Hemisphere flair, integrating multidisciplinary art for a stunning and poetic theatrical presentation of cirque artistry and skill. The sisters beautifully perform in the aerial hoop, the tortured goblin solo in silk is riveting, and their chair balancing will have you at the edge of your seat.
The siblings are played by Eve Gordon and Rochelle Mangan, who see this 1859 poem as entirely relevant, with new life breathed into it; a reminder of how art can be timeless. Gordon confirms, “Rossetti has written such a powerful piece of literature that the universal nature of the ideas stand up to this day, more than 150 years after they were written. Among other issues, we are still struggling to destigmatise sexuality in young women.”
“Gordon, Mangan and Clendon enthral from beginning to end, painting a sensual picture and coherent narrative with their graceful and perfectly synchronized bodies… the high quality of their acting illuminates the emotional charge of this modernized account.”– Allysia Duval, La Bible Urbaine
Show director Mike Edward connects strongly to the theme of female empowerment, “I feel like the world is on the cusp of women finally shattering the glass ceiling. Even though we’re clearly not there yet, my daughter is being raised knowing that she can achieve anything. This gives me heart and hope,” he said.
Gordon, who performs in and designed the show, reveals, “Examining addiction, whether to drugs, sex, a person or anything, is really exciting and disturbing. Danger is attractive to humans, and addiction is the biggest self-test there is.” She is also a filmmaker and was thrilled to use techniques she developed years ago in the AV component of the production, “I’ve always wanted to join my world of experimental film and circus; I only stopped focusing on film because I realized that physically, circus has a limited life span!”
Goblin performer Edward Clendon loves the Victorian text and being lost in that world, “The poetry and the magic permeates the show and heightens everything, like being in a dream. I adore this feeling,” he adds. For Mangan, the physical challenge of the piece is electrifying and fun, while the emotional journey of the character can be daunting. She clarifies, “Having to go to a point where I feel hopeless, and having to perform circus routines with these emotions, is always scary for me.”
The company can’t wait to return to Montreal. They love the architecture and the history, the wonderful street art, and the beautiful, welcoming people. We in turn are lucky to have them back for an all too short run.
“For your sake I have braved the glen / And had to do with goblin merchant men.”
About The Dust Palace
Well-known New Zealand actors Mike Edward and Eve Gordon have combined their passions of theatre and circus in their company, The Dust Palace. They focus on creating works where the story is most important. The unconventional married couple, who met in drama school, now also give classes to all ages as well as offering a scholarship program for underprivileged youth.
The Goblin Market (3 shows only)
Presented by New Zealand’s The Dust Palace
At Centaur Theatre, 453 St François-Xavier
Wed., Sept. 27 to Fri., Sept. 29 at 8pm
Reservations: 514 288-3161 centaurtheatre.com/the-goblin-market.html
Tickets: $39; $29 students; $34 seniors (service charges apply if purchased online)
2-for-1 TICKETS in honour of World Tourism Day (Sept. 27, The Goblin Market opening night):
Tickets are 2-for-1 off regular price ($39) if purchased using the code word ‘GOBLIN’
