Malia Walsh
Creative Director
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Malia Walsh is a multi award winning director with over 16 years experience creating productions which are equal parts skills, narrative and comedy. With a background in both ballet and footy her approach to the arts is both graceful and headstrong.
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In 2008 she co-founded the award winning Circus Trick Tease creating their self titeled show to rave reviews and awards. Since then she has directed multiple, award winning and diverse shows under the banner CTT including Children are Stinky, 'Straya, Can't Face, Brass Monkeys and WERK IT.
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She has also directed shows for Head First Acrobatics with Godz and Circus Oz to direct Neon and Bubblegum which both went on to win several awards and fantastic accolades.
As a producer Malia has fostered and developed excellent relationships working with: Strut & Fret, Gluttony, Circus Oz, Assembly Edinburgh, Underbelly London, Super Theatre Beijing, La Soiree ltd.
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Creative collaborations include: Pyroptix for Hong Kong and Maldives shows, Über Lingua for the opening of the Sydney and Darwin International Festivals, Men of Steel for RAV, Korea and Malthouse season.
children are stinky
Josie Wardrope
Josie Wardrope's spark for physicality lead her to NICA where she specialised in Swinging Trapeze and Handstands and graduated with a Bachelor of Circus Arts in 2012. She has been performing and teaching throughout Australia and beyond ever since. Josie loves heights, outdoor adventures and kitchen dance parties. She is quick to grin, crafty with (and on) her hands and is convinced that upside down time gives an excellent perspective on life! She formed TEOC circus with Anna Murray in 2016 and toured Australia and overseas performing in a variety of shows at festivals and events such as the Western Australian Circus Festival, Adelaide Fringe and the Taipei Arts Festival. Josie's touring continued after joining Circus Oz in 2018.She also worked with One Fell Swoop Circus before creating Stunned Mullet Circus with her partner in crime Sam Aldham in 2021, with a focus on outdoor and site specific performances and events.
Sam Aldham
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Starting his acrobatic journey in 2004 working at Club Med resorts as a flying trapeze performer and instructor. After travelling through resorts in Asia and France as a flyer and catcher he returned to Melbourne where he joined Flying Trapeze Australia. He performed and taught in festivals including Summer Fun Festival in Melbourne, Tasmanian Circus Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and Moomba Festival Melbourne. He also travelled to Abu Dhabi for a month-long summer festival.
Sam is a NICA graduate, specialising in corde lisse (vertical rope), comedy acrobatics and hoop diving. In 2011 he formed Three High Acrobatics with his acrobatic partners Chris Carlos and Taka Seki creating award-winning shows Knock off and Cirque du Bloke. He then joined Circus Oz in 2014 and has toured around Australia and the world in various shows. The last few years between contracts he has also performed with Dislocate and One Fell Swoop Circus.
BRASS MONKEYS
April Dawson
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Growing up in Busselton, Western Australia, April started dancing and gymnastics from an early age. She was spotted performing contortion on the street at a local festival and two weeks later joined Lunar Circus, touring WA, NT and South-East Asia. Highly-skilled in theatrical dance and acrobatics April soon added juggling, clown, hula hoop, flying trapeze and aerial hoop to her bag of tricks.
April’s credits include P&O Cruises, Sydney International Motor Show, Village Roadshow, Red Earth Arts Festival and The West Australian Circus Festival. She has spent the last three years working full time for Circus Oz, performing all over Australia and internationally. April is also one half of Two Up Circus, plays the role of ‘Kylie’ in the hit children show ‘Children Are Stinky’ and is highly regarded as a costume designer/maker under her own business ‘GlitterFart Productions’.
Kyle Raftery
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Kyle trained at the National Institute of Circus Arts, graduating in 2005 with a full final-year scholarship. He has established his own successful freelance business as a circus artist. He is one half of performing duo Two Up Circus, founded the Little Red Trapeze Company, plays Jason in the multi-award winning children’s show ‘Children are Stinky’ and has worked for Circus Oz in ‘But wait, there’s more’, ‘Twenty-Sixteen’ and ‘Rock Bang’.
Credits include: Underbelly Festival (UK), Hoopla Festival (Darling Harbour), P&O Cruises, Ben 10 Live Stage Show (Malaysia), ACT 3 International (Singapore), Lunar Circus (WA), Melbourne Circus Festival, Western Australian Circus Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, International Circus Festival of Cambodia, La Mama for Kids, Fun4Kids Festival, Roola Boola Festival, Cirque du Monde (Singapore), and ThisSideUp acrobatics.
WERK IT ​​
Lisa Lottie
Richard Sullivan
Cassia Jamieson
Cabaret artist, TEDx speaker, festival performer & YouTube sensation, Lisa Lottie’s hula hoops, style and talent have been seen and admired across the globe.
A world-class, highly-skilled artist, Lisa was born in Amsterdam, began her career in a traditional circus in India, has trained at Escola National de Circo in Rio de Janeiro and holds a degree in Circus from the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama in London.
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Based now in Australia, Lisa delights audiences with her sophisticated, skilled and sassy performances at elegant supper clubs, star-studded galas, and high-profile corporate events. Professional and amateur performers as well as fans worldwide have racked her up millions of views on YouTube.
Richard Sullivan is an incredible multi disciplinary artist, acrobat, tumbler, head trap and juggling.
After graduating NICA , he was accepted into DOCH University of Dance and Circus in Stockholm, Sweden where he studied for three years to refine his knowledge of juggling and develop his unique and personal style. He is a highly regarded artist who has performed in YUMMY, Circus Oz and Jugg Life. Richard’s juggling can be described as grounded, sharp and aggressively talented. .
Cassia Jamieson is a young emerging circus artist with a background in contemporary dance.
She now specialises in Foot manipulation, group acrobatics and is primarily a Strong Woman basing 3 and 4 person acrobatics. Cassia is an alumnus of fLiNG Physical Theatre, trained with Alison Czolij at Sapphire Coast Academy, cast member of the immersive circus experience 'Stand Here' by Tons of Sense, directed by Latonya Wigginton and a 2019 NICA graduate. She is new, fresh, strong and incredibly talented with a depth in her work which is engaging and exciting.
Vincent Van Berkel
Chelsea Angell
Vincent is well known as an accomplished hand balancer and acrobat, and as one of Australia’s best on the teeterboard.
With a strong background in competitive gymnastics, Vincent had a great base to build off when he made the leap into the circus world to fulfil his artistic and creative side in 2010. His circus career has seen him touring internationally as a member of ThisSideUp Acrobatics, performing in the show Controlled Falling Project, and extensively within Australia as a member of Circus Oz, Pants Down Circus, Pappillon and Casus.
Chelsea Angell discovered her love for German wheel in her first year studying at NICA. She is an incredible performer with strength in flexibility, strength, dance, and creativity. Coming from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia she undertook dance and acrobatics classes from a young age. She has performed all over the world with Head First Acrobatics, Circus Trick Tease and residency in Germany with the famous GOP. Boasting a wide variety of skills in other specialities such as hula hoops and aerial silks. Chelsea is a circus force of talent and energy.
Other favourite artists from past performances
Farhad
Ahadi
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Transferring his exceptional skills as an elite gymnast to the world of circus, Farhad spent several years touring Iran before he and his partner were head hunted by Leo Foo Village, a renowned Taiwanese theme park. Their incredible sword balancing act saw them tour for 2 years before being offered a contract with Australia’s famous Silvers Grand Magic Circus.
Based in Melbourne from 2008, Farhad co-founded Circus Trick Tease, touring and hand balancing with them worldwide. He can also be found performing at high-end corporate events with his signature 5-meter handstand act.
Shannon McGurgan
Lilikoi
Kaos
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Shannon has trained in a huge range of circus skills during his 20 years as a performer. These include double and solo trapeze, hand to hand acrobatics, solo and double straps, fire manipulation, Chinese poles, hula-hoops, juggling and clowning.
Selected as one of the first alumni to trial NICA’s circus course, Shannon went on to tour Australia with The Robinson’s Family Circus and Circus Royale in 2006. International tours include the USA, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and China. After years in the traditional circus, Shannon co-founded Circus Trick Tease in 2008.
The creator of “Mr Shaggles Circus World,” a high energy solo show, Shannon has delighted young audiences in both Australia and New Zealand and will soon be the only known touring bicycle circus in the world!
A blur of dynamic, fierce and powerful energy. Imagine if Sailor Moon, Lucille Ball and Tank Girl where combined, rolled in a pile of sequins, doused in vodka and struck with fifty thousand volts… you’d get somewhere close to Lilikoi.
She has hypnotised audiences from London to New York, Buenos Aires to…Wollongong with her heart-breaking hip-shaking hula-hooping and unparalleled comic timing.
Whether effortlessly spinning 50 hoops around her waist, performing incredible sideshow stunts, or Mcing with mischievously cheeky wit, This half-Hawaiian hurricane will leave you stunned, blushing, giggling inappropriately and cheering for more.
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“Highlights of the performance were Lilikoi, reminiscent of Bette Midler in both stature and energy, and who engaged constantly with the audience as she worked the stage.”
Broadway World
Chris Carlos
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Chris is a founding member of Three High Acrobatics, Spin Circus Festival, Spin short course academy and most recently the Australian Partner Acrobatic Convention (APAC).
A prolific creator and performer, Chris’ work includes "Knock off" "Cirque Du Bloke" "Rue" and most recently, "Children are Stinky", the 5 star smash hit of both the Melbourne and Edinburgh Fringe.
Specialising in hand to hand and comedy acrobatics, as well as fire spinning, Teeterboard, Russian Barre and juggling, performance highlights include the Melbourne and Delhi Commonwealth Games, Pink’s Australian tour after party and a residency in the Melbourne production of “Love Never Dies.”
Honing his skills with Flying Trapeze Australia and NICA, Chris also has a Diploma of Theatre Arts from Victoria University.
Bart Mangan
Tech Design
Bart Mangan is a live performance and event generalist, they designed lights and sets for the show you're lining up to see and installed the toilets you wish you used before you got another drink.
Working for the past decade with some of Australia's largest festivals and event sites (Sydney/Brisbane/Melbourne International Art Festivals, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Groovin the Moo, Melbourne Fringe, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Queensland Music Festival, Next Wave, St Kilda Festival, Commonwealth Games) Bart has helped deliver so many of the counties ground breaking and record setting events.
Using the skills and resources they've picked up on these large scale well funded events, Bart's happy place is working with independent companies with a killer show (Circus Trick Tease, Bunk Puppets, One Word Productions, OrigamiFlight). Taking that show to a world audience as lighting designer, technician, tour manager, or since March 2020 broadcast manager. Whichever hat fits the occasion and often and combination of a few.
