ILLUSIONIST Michael Boyd’s “Circus of Illusion” show, which astonished Canberra audiences last year before Omicron intervened, will be back at the Canberra Theatre in mid-January, and this time he feels optimistic that it won’t be interrupted.

“Circus of Illusion” recreates all the razzle-dazzle of the circus without an actual big top, since Boyd recreates a kind of tent within the stage, festooned with the paraphernalia of the circus. 

“It’s like you’re inside a tent under lots of lightbulbs. It allows the space to look massive and it brings back the sawdust and magic effect that I saw when I was a child,” Boyd says.

Central to “Circus of Illusion,” is its ringmaster Idris Stanbury, who will introduce some new material, including a terrifying live chainsaw act never done before.

Stanbury is loved by Canberra audiences because he is known for introducing a strong element of comedy, and also because he was born here.

In his youth he spent more time in Goulburn getting involved with the Lieder Theatre, then later going on to study circus at the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, where he lived for 19 years as a professional performer.

He’s been back in Canberra for the past five years and his day job is now head of performance at Warehouse Circus, for whom he directed “Elemental”, in early October, though as with this circus job, he can take time off for professional engagements. 

Much of what we’ll see on stage will be familiar, especially the tricks by Boyd himself, who, as a teenager, honed his skills in shows at fetes, birthday parties and nursing homes, went on to mount big shows at casinos, cruise ships then became a finalist in “Australia’s Got Talent”.

His aim, he says, is to combine magic and circus in equal measure to entertain audiences from a broad age range, but this year he’s got a couple of new acts. 

One such is Sascha Williams, a “Britain’s Got Talent” semi-finalist who has what Boyd describes as “a jaw-dropping tower of terror act… every time I see him do it, my heart’s in my mouth and I think, oh, my god, he’s not going to make it, but he does.”

Another new element to the show is hula-hoop artist and aerialist, Sydney’s Sarah Bloom.

“I like to give the audiences a lot of surprises, so I don’t want to give away too much,” Boyd says. “I like to hear gasps from the audience… People disappear, showgirls levitate, and there are very dangerous escapes in the show – lots of action.”

“Circus of Illusion”, Canberra Theatre, January 14-15.