Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE BY WITCH Music Theatre at Circa Theatre. Reviewed by Lottie Butcher
The production runs April 11 - May 9.
There’s something wonderfully thrilling about stepping into a night of theatre knowing almost nothing, just a tantalising blurb from the Circa website and the whisper that it had gone viral with the Gen Z crowd on TikTok. I may have known nothing walking into Ride the Cyclone, written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, but I left pondering a quietly haunting question: is it better to yearn for a life you’ve lost, or to yearn for a life that you cannot even remember?
The six members of the St. Cassian High School Chamber Choir ride The Cyclone, a faulty rollercoaster only to meet their untimely deaths when the ride malfunctions.The mechanical coin operated fortune-teller, The Amazing Karnak, not only narrates the story, but offers the students a second chance at life. And so the game begins: a strange and engrossing contest in which each teenager must plead their case, all vying for the same prize, one final return to life.
The set, designed by Scott Maxim, an eerie, abandoned fairground, beautifully frames the rotating circular stage with a spiralling, helter-skelter-esque ramp. Use of flickering lights, ghostly sound FX and a sinister fortune-telling machine add to an unsettling atmosphere, kudos to Joshua Tucker-Emerson as Technical Director. There’s a lingering sense of faded grandeur, glimmering with traces of a once vibrant life… now lost. Seated far to the left, my husband and I found ourselves with a noticeable blind spot, which felt at moments disappointing as we didn’t want to miss one moment of the action- Top Tip: If you get to choose your seating I’d recommend centre or right for better visibility.
Each of the six victims of the crash are given their moment in turn, as secrets are revealed, loved ones are longed for, and themes of self-doubt, self-discovery, hope, and ambition come to the surface. Each character brings a distinct flavour and as each story unravels, the question keeps tumbling through my head: who would I save?
Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg takes the lead, competitive, confident, and unapologetically self-serving. Yet in Lane Corby’s hands, she is far more than a caricature; there’s a delightful sharpness to her judgement, played with real zest, but also glimmers of vulnerability that soften her edges just enough to make her curiously, compellingly and likeable.
Brash and angry Mischa Bachinski, portrayed by Jackson Burling, showcases his alter ego rap “YouTube star” Bad Egg with such relish and comedy timing but it is in the quieter moments that Burling truly captivates. As Mischa’s bravado slips, a deeply touching sincerity emerges, his eyes glistening as he longs for the woman he’ll never see again.
Noel Gruber, played by Logan Tahiwi, sashays into the spotlight with a song that delivers a stunning transformation. Flamboyant and deliciously dramatic, allowing Noel, at last, to inhabit the life he so desperately dreams of. The audience is utterly invested in his hopes and dreams, making the moment he returns to his school uniform all the more poignant, a subtle, heartbreaking reminder of how he has had to mask his true, authentic self within the confines of his community.
"The nicest girl at school" Constance Blackwood, is played with a tender, childlike and endearingly awkward presence by Jade Merematira, the loyal cutesy Best Friend often overshadowed and overlooked by the dominant force of Ocean. Merematira delivers a powerhouse moment, peeling back Constance’s innocence and to reveal something far more raw and honest.
Ricky Potts, a mute boy with an imagination bursting with colour, adventure, and possibility, finally finds his voice in the afterlife. Henry Ashby brings an explosion of glitter and personality to the stage, effervescent, magnetic, and utterly joyous, delivering a performance that is as playful as it is moving.
Jane Doe, a decapitated corpse discovered in the wreckage of the crash and still dressed in a school uniform, arrives as a haunting enigma, unsure even of her own identity. She might be presented as a creepy, lifeless doll, but Maya Handa Naff brings a captivating, sparkling performance with striking physicality and sadness, crafting a presence that is equal parts beautiful and terrifying.
The Amazing Karnak, voiced and operated by Jthan Morgan, brings a fabulous mix of authority and humour to the narration, underneath the wit, lies an unsettling, ominous undertone that adds to the edge of unease. Morgan’s performance is alluring, chilling, and assured, effortlessly balancing charm with something far more sinister beneath the surface.
So back to the question: Who would I save?
Any choice would be impossible and unjust, which is a true testament to the actors that each character felt so distinct and compelling. The show is hlariously funny in parts and moving in others; Credit must also go to Ben Tucker-Emerson as Director who steered the production with clarity, pace and imagination drawing out both the humour and the heart of the piece. The music fizzes and sings, literally and figuratively, genius Musical Direction from Hayden Taylor, it had me clapping and foot-tapping to songs I’d never heard before, while effortlessly heightening the pathos and emotional pull of the piece. Choreography is a skill that both terrifies and fascinates me in equal measure, but throw in a revolving stage, a rap artist, and a dancing doll, and it becomes nothing short of extraordinary. Amazing work from Emily McDermott, who shapes it all into something sharp, inventive, and utterly captivating.
Ride The Cyclone is a night of sizzling, quirky, macabre theatre, showcasing some of Poneke’s finest performers, and led by a fire cracker of a creative team — If this is the after-life then count me in.
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