Stand Here — Tons of Sense

Overview

Flip out, circus fans — there's a new acrobatic collective in town. And, even better, the all-female collective is putting on a free, one-night-only performance that draws attendees into an immersive dystopian world.

At Testing Grounds on February 23, Tons of Sense will present Stand Here. And no, you don't have to take the title's advice. In fact, as seven performers do their circus best, audience members are encouraged not only to watch and listen, but to move, touch, taste, smell and interact with the cast and the set. In short: don't expect your usual kind of show.

Aiming to probe the bystander effect — that is, how people around us influence our behaviour — is one of the performance's aims according to director Latonya Wigginton, an alum of the Beijing International Art School and the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne. "Stand Here is a circus show, you can expect to see flips and tricks," she explains, "but we also hope that our work leaves the audience with a sense of being involved in something greater than themselves."