LIFE – IT’S A CIRCUS
Venue: Double Teaching Space, Drama Classroom, Studio, Theatre, Hall

OVERVIEW

Life – It’s a Circus is a joyous, movement-filled theatrical adventure that blends contemporary circus, physical theatre, clowning, and poetic storytelling. Designed specifically for Primary students, the show uses balancing acts, acrobatics, improvisation, and theatrical silliness to explore big ideas in a child-friendly and imaginative way.

Through laughter and wonder, the show gently invites students to reflect on important human experiences — like friendship, trust, fear, resilience, and hope — and to consider how we can support each other through life’s wobbles and wins.

 WHO IT’S FOR

• Prep to Year 6 Students – Age-appropriate themes delivered through visual storytelling, physical comedy, and engaging characters
• Teachers & Educators – A springboard for classroom discussions around wellbeing, emotions, friendship, and creativity
• Supportive of neurodiverse learners – Entirely inclusive, non-verbal segments, strong visual storytelling, and gentle interaction

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKS | PREP–YEAR 6

 The Arts – Drama

Strands: Making & Responding

• Foundation to Year 2
  ➤ Explore dramatic play using voice, facial expression, movement, and gesture (ACADRM027, ACADRM028)
  ➤ Respond to dramatic performance and describe characters’ feelings and relationships (ACADRR029)
• Years 3–4
  ➤ Explore and convey ideas through physical storytelling, improvisation, and expressive movement (ACADRM032, ACADRM033)
  ➤ Reflect on how drama communicates emotions, mood, and story (ACADRR034)
• Years 5–6
  ➤ Experiment with dramatic tension, space, and action to express ideas (ACADRM036, ACADRM037)
  ➤ Respond to performance using theatre vocabulary and emotional insight (ACADRR038)

Health and Physical Education (HPE)

Strand: Personal, Social and Community Health

• Foundation to Year 2
  ➤ Identify ways to care for others and manage emotions (ACPPS003, ACPPS005)
  ➤ Participate in cooperative play and inclusive group activities (ACPMP008)
• Years 3–4
  ➤ Examine emotional responses and how they influence behaviour (ACPPS038)
  ➤ Explore strategies to be kind, resilient, and inclusive (ACPPS037)
• Years 5–6
  ➤ Investigate the impact of relationships on health and wellbeing (ACPPS051)
  ➤ Develop skills for coping, resilience, and emotional expression (ACPPS056)

English

• Foundation to Year 2
  ➤ Use interactions with visual and spoken texts to respond to story and character (ACELY1650, ACELY1660)
  ➤ Create simple oral narratives and recounts based on experience (ACELY1651, ACELY1661)
• Years 3–6
  ➤ Plan and create imaginative responses (e.g. character journals, circus poems) (ACELY1682, ACELY1704)
  ➤ Reflect on how performance creates emotional impact and meaning (ACELT1607, ACELT1610)

 GENERAL CAPABILITIES

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Use improvisation and story-building to explore abstract concepts in a concrete, playful way
• Make imaginative decisions, problem-solve, and think laterally

Personal and Social Capability

• Understand emotions through dramatic metaphor (e.g., a character losing balance = feeling overwhelmed)
• Collaborate in shared laughter, group reflection, and post-show discussion

Ethical Understanding

• Reflect on how characters show kindness, make mistakes, or make brave choices
• Explore fairness, consequences, and empathy through role and scenario

Intercultural Understanding

• Appreciate humour and expression as a universal human connector
• Recognise and respect diverse ways of expressing feelings and resolving challenges

STYLE & FORM

• Physical Theatre & Circus – expressive storytelling through body, space, and balance
• Clowning & Comedy – direct audience engagement, silliness, exaggerated emotion
• Improvisation – spontaneous response, reaction-based performance
• Visual Theatre – story told as much through movement and image as language
• Poetic Storytelling & Music – musical underscoring, rhythmic storytelling, and moments of calm
• Mime & Non-Verbal Communication – body language and gesture as tools for emotion

THEMES AND BIG IDEAS

• Friendship and Trust – supporting one another through life’s wobbles
• Mistakes and Forgiveness – failing is funny, and forgiveness is freeing
• Fear and Courage – facing new things and balancing emotions
• Choices and Consequences – learning through play and character decisions
• Resilience and Kindness – staying balanced when things go off-track
• Imagination and Play – how creativity helps us explore the world

 POST-SHOW EXTENSION IDEAS

• Drama & Movement
  ➤ Students create their own ‘circus of feelings’ tableau or improv scene
  ➤ Reenact characters’ struggles using balance, freeze-frames, or mime
• English
  ➤ Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who “lost their balance”
  ➤ Create a class poem inspired by circus metaphors (“I am the tightrope between…”)
• HPE/Wellbeing
  ➤ Discuss “What helps you stay balanced when things feel tricky?”
  ➤ Mindful movement activity: slow walking while imagining being a performer

WHY IT’S SPECIAL FOR PRIMARY

• No heavy text, lots of movement = ideal for young learners and mixed learning levels
• Visually rich and physically expressive = supports non-verbal and neurodiverse learners
• Laugh-out-loud moments + gentle life lessons = perfect for ages 5–12
• Can be delivered in almost any indoor space = flexible, school-friendly setup
• Whole-school connection opportunity = suitable for multi-year performances or wellbeing days

Devised by: Allie Wilde & Nick Cilento
Directed by: Allie Wilde & Nick Cilento