Kyle Raftery Interview (Circus Oz 2015: But Wait…There’s More!)
Welcome to Impulse Gamer Kyle and can you tell us what drew you to Circus Oz?
I liked what Circus Oz does, I liked the shows Circus Oz creates, they’re edgy and political but accessible and family-friendly.
What’s your favourite aspect about being part of Circus Oz?
I like being part of the whole show, not just my act. I clown around, I play in the band, I sing and dance and fly through the air, there is no waiting around for your moment, we are working the whole time. We get our hands dirty, we travel together, we eat together, we party together and we take care of each other.
Where did you learn your circus skills?
I did a Bachelor of Circus Arts at NICA, that was my foundation. From there you always try to keep learning whatever you can whenever you can.
Tell us how you came up with the amazing unicycle routine with April?
It happened piece by piece. I’ve ridden unicycles for a long time, we were training lots of partner balances and acrobatics, eventually we decided to try and combine the two.
How much practice did you and April do?
It was really difficult at first, we were really jerky and my legs would tire very quickly but we worked hard and stuck with it and eventually things got easier. In the beginning we would train anywhere, at a park, on a basketball court, in a parking lot, wherever we could find a flat surface. We would get a lot of strange looks, cars honking at us, or people yelling out to us.
What is the biggest challenge of this routine?
A unicycle is always falling, it’s never balanced, to stay on you always need to ride in the direction you are falling. If April stands on my shoulders and doesn’t lean forwards we will stop moving, if she doesn’t lean into the circle we will go in a straight line. The other challenge is I need to look where we are going and not at her, I need to feel where she is and catch her without looking.
Most rewarding?
The reaction from the audience when we hit our final trick, the band really cranks up and April and I always break out in a huge smile knowing all the hard work has paid off.
Why do you think the crowd is drawn to this performance so much?
I don’t really know. It’s very raw and honest, we aren’t playing characters or putting on a show. I think people see the trust we have in each other and respond to that.
Can you tell us what your favourite aspect of But Wait…There’s More is?
So many favourites. The people I get to work with, the awesome music in the show, the jokes I still find funny after a year of hearing them, but I think the best part is always the audience, they are the reason I love doing the show.
Finally what else does 2015 hold for you?
After Melbourne we embark on a regional tour, including a one night stand in my home town of Tamworth. Many more shows, lots more living out of suitcase and hopefully lots more fantastic adventures with my circus family on the road.
Thanks for your time Kyle and all the best for Circus Oz But Wait…There’s More!
Photos – Rob Blackburn
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