Head Over Wheels is a disabled and non-disabled multidisciplinary company that combines aerial, music, and theatre to create shows that push the boundaries of circus.
This year, they performed as part of the festival’s opening ceremony – high above the Pyramid audience on one of the cranes. Now they are closer to us – the big top counting as a more ‘intimate’ space despite the venue’s size.
The duo, company artistic directors Johnny Leitch and Lee-Kronick, challenge the expectations of what a “circus body” should look like by “subverting the trends of glamorous and sensational circus, creating domestic and relatable work that resonates with audiences on a personal level.”
They combine groundwork and aerial work in today’s performance. The groundwork, in particular, has a loose and playful nature, while the more physically impressive aerial work garners whoops of appreciation from the Big Top audience.
One of the performers, Leitch, is a wheelchair user and their wheelchair becomes part of the act – almost a third performer as it becomes part of the aerial routine alongside Lee-Kronick.
It’s a fun show, matching the buzzy, jazzy soundtrack that accompanies it, and one that undeniably does exactly as it promises by challenging preconceptions about what a circus performer should look like.
