Dummies return to Fringe World’s De Parel Spiegeltent with new show The Detectives in Cirque Noir

Circus comedy troupe Dummies Corp has been a Fringe World favourite with youngsters for years — including shows Trash Test Dummies and Splash Test Dummies — and is now shaking up the program with adults-only offering The Detectives in Cirque Noir.

The noir-esque circus comedy show stars familiar Dummies performing trio Amy Nightingale-Olsen, Thomas McDonald and Leigh Rhodes, last in Perth for the 2020 Festival, plus new addition David Splatt who plays the saw, the inclusion of a musical instrument a first for a Dummies production.

Rhodes joined Dummies Corp in 2016 — straight out of graduating from National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne — to replace an injured performer in established show Trash Test Dummies, and enjoyed the process of getting to start on a new show from scratch, co-creating The Detectives in Cirque Noir with his castmates plus Dummies co-directors Jamie Bretman and Clare Bartholomew.

“Dummies have done three kids shows and over the years we’ve discussed that we wanted to do some kind of adult show,” Rhodes explains.

“So we set out to create a show that was circus and clowning, but also had a storyline all the way through.

“We chose the noir theme to create this adult murder mystery that has pretty much every skill in a circus all three of us are capable of. We all had our own inputs and wanted a way that all of our specialities could get into the show.

“It’s a completely different style, theme-wise and story-wise, but it still has so many of the classic elements that the Dummies kids shows are known for, like slapstick, slow motion and clowning. It has this adult twist but we’ve worked hard to incorporate that same kind of flavour and excitement.”

Rhodes discovered his passion for circus when his mum and brother invited him along to CircArts, a small school in his hometown of Geelong they had attended a few times as a hobby.

He immediately became hooked.

“Originally I wanted to do acting at Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and go down that performing route anyway, but once I found circus, I realised I was quite a physical performer and had always wanted to add more than just acting elements into performing,” Rhodes shares.

“I really find circus has so many more levels and laneways you can go through rather than just physical theatre. It adds this next level to performing which is what I really love about it.”

With a circus skill speciality that combines his own teenage hobby of skating with bounce juggling (bounce-ball patterns against the ground), Rhodes is a man of many other talents, including costume maker, which is always helpful in his career choice.

Although Dummies Corp worked with a designer on the main themed costumes in The Detectives in Cirque Noir, each performer had a hand in creating their own specialty costume.

“I do a boylesque routine, so I made that costume,” he says.

“First and foremost you need to be able to move in them without them ripping or stretching. In the past, we’ve had some costumes where I’ve gone to do a warm-up squat and the pants have split right down the seam. Luckily I’d have a backup pair. There’s a lot of maintenance behind the scenes of washing the clothes every day, getting the makeup out of them and ironing, but it’s all worth it for sure.”

The Detectives in Cirque Noir is at Lotterywest De Parel Spiegeltent until February 19.