A Simple Space serves up acrobatic feats without the sequins, at the Kay Meek Arts Centre May 22
Aussie troupe Gravity & Other Myths’ stripped-down spectacle has been a hit around the world
Gravity & Other Myths’ A Simple Space. Photo by Chris Herzfeld
A Simple Space is at the Kay Meek Arts Centre on May 22 at 7:30 pm
VISITORS WHO CAUGHT Gravity & Other Myths’ The Mirror at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2024 knows the Aussie company serves up circus with cheekiness: in that sophisticated, ever-shifting funhouse, the troupe cavorted acrobatically in skivvies, with plenty of naughty laughs.
A Simple Space, last viewed in town at the York Theatre in 2015, is more indie-feeling and stripped-down—a circus extravaganza that builds a raw intimacy with the audience unlike anything you’d see at Cirque du Soleil.
Backed by the driving rhythm of live percussionist Nick Martyn, the troupe gives audiences a closeup view of bodies struggling in the moment—and receives whoops and cheers in return. The Kay Meek’s Grosvenor Theatre, at just under five hundred seats, is about the perfect size to enjoy the frank artistry.
Some of the artists in Gravity and Other Myths started as dancers then became acrobats; for some it was the other way around. Either way, it lends the company’s work a flow and finesse.
But gone are the sequins, heavy makeup, and theatrical set pieces of Vegas-style circus: what you get here are humans pushing themselves to the limits of gravity and space with the enthusiasm of a bunch of kids at the playground.
Rave reviews have met the show’s tours around the world, with the U.K.’s The Guardian calling it a “total triumph”.
As artistic director Darcy Grant told Stir last year: “The struggle and the limits—it’s infinitely watchable. There’s a real culture inside the company to a) never recycle content, and b) to always be pushing and searching for a new kind of obsession, a new style of acrobatics or movement or other new language.”
So yes, there are all the spectacles and feats you expect at a night at the circus, but also a sense of team spirit and communal support that you might not expect. 
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