Head First Acrobats are a multi-award-winning performance company. Based in Melbourne, they are regulars on the international touring circuit, and specialise in acrobatic entertainment for festivals, theatres, corporate and street events.
Head First Acrobats have a talent for developing shows that are the talk of the town, filling theatres to the rafters with thrilled audiences.
Their big-hitting shows have been national and international sensation, Elixir, which was the smash hit of 2018 and won the Best Circus and Physical Theatre Award at Adelaide Fringe, along with a slew of sold-out shows all over the world. Railed’ debuted at Perth Fringe World in 2019, and is a riotous high-energy comedy Western that takes no prisoners, sets the bar on fire, and hightails out of town leaving a trail of broken hearts in its wake.
Their new flagship show, Godz has been taking audiences by storm winning a slew of awards including, Best Circus Fringe World 2022, Adelaide Fringe Critics Circle weekly award 2022 and the People’s Choice award at the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2022. They return to this year’s Brighton Fringe with three shows across the month: Godz, Créme de la Créme and Arr We There Yet?
Thomas Gorham, who co-founded the company with Callan Harris, tells us about what it’s like to be back.
Q&A with Thomas Gorham
How did you come to form Head First?
Cal and I bonded over the construction of a teeterboard. Which is a circus prop that looks like a seesaw, except you do flips on it and land back on it.
From there we decided to make a show together, and made lots of fun equipment and props. Trapezees, handstand canes, benches, blocks… we put it all on stage and our first tour actually went to Brighton. The show was called Elixir and it was a big hit about scientists looking for the elixir of life, but accidentally creating the zombie apocalypse.
How does it feel to be returning to the Northern Hemisphere for a month long run at Brighton Fringe?
Feels like coming home. We have been coming every year since 2015. Every year we have wanted to play the whole festival, it feels amazing to finally be able to do the whole festival, and in our own venue being shipped from Australia! I couldn’t be more excited about it all!
What are your plans for this year’s shows?
We are bringing our biggest hitter GODZ, an acrobatic and comedic romp through ancient greece, not for the feint of heart. Rated r18+ so adults only.
Joining GODZ for the adults is Creme de la Creme, our late night cabaret show. Its a mashup variety show of HFA cast members and special guests, we bill it as the best of the best acts of the fringe.
If you have kids, we are bringing back the winner of the best kids show last year, Arrr we there yet?! A pirate themed circus adventure for the whole family, Theres lots of jokes for kids young and old, and plenty of circus action.
Was it important to have both an all ages show and an adult-only show again this year?
Kids deserve quality entertainment as well! We love to perform strong circus for the younger generation. Maybe we will inspire them to chase their dreams, or even become acrobats themselves..
You’ve previously won Brighton Fringe Best Cabaret Award and Best Children’s and Family Event – what was that like?
It’s always a lovely bit of validation when you get an award! We love performing that show and we knew we were onto a winner, it was awesome to have that feeling confirmed by the judges and audiences.
