Morgan James: A One Man Circus

The shows message is simple:

Anyone, and everyone can be a circus.

If you’re a boy or a girl or anywhere between

If you’re strong, or silly, or graceful and green.

Then the circus has a place just for you.

To be seen.

The core message of a one man circus is that when things seem impossible, keep practising, keep trying and most importantly keep believing and you can achieve it! It’s goal is to highlight to its audience members, old and young alike, that persistence pays off and that our differences are in fact our strengths.

The plot of the show centres around two characters – The Old Man Of The Circus (the clown conduit for the show – he acts like a child even though he is an old man) and Morgan James (The star of the show – an incredible circus performer).

Both characters are performed by one performer in a hilarious tongue in cheek-pantomime style bait and switch of the two characters, which leads to a fantastic finale that you will never see coming.

Woven throughout the performance are Morgan James’ world class circus performances, witty banter that is catered to both kids and adults alike and powerful monologues that blend the shows core message with impossible tricks.

Form and Style

A One Man Circus is presented in a traditional proscenium arch style theatre performance, however can be adjusted to suit a wide variety of performance spaces, including but not limited to black box spaces, circus tents, town halls or large theatre stages.

The production elements of A One Man Circus can be built up or stripped back as required. Ideally we require a minimum stage space of 5m x 5m with a roof height of 5m, however we can adapt if required. Basic in house lighting and sound rigs will be sufficient, the company can also tour equipment if none is available. Company will provide wireless performer mic system (Sennheiser G3/XSW-D).

The ideal touring party includes one performer, one production manager. We also require one local venue tech, however the company can provide if none are available. All touring set, props, costumes etc travel in 5 suitcases and can be transported in a large car/van.

Community Engagement

Morgan James has a large background in community engagement with Western Australian audiences for nearly 20 years in the form of circus workshops and presentations. His company Ricochet Circus has provided exciting circus workshops to hundreds of schools and community groups across Western Australia. In addition to these classes, Ricochet Circus have also curated various outreach workshops to youth groups, Be-Active projects and indigenous communities. Ricochet Circus has always been there promoting creativity and encouraging everyone to “have a go!”

It is becoming more frequent that when a Ricochet Circus show comes to your community, we arrive a little earlier and teach circus at the local school or recreation centre.

Available Workshops:

Have A Go Circus, Pick up and Play – A workshop available for schools and community groups.

Ricochet Circus provides a large variety of circus equipment and will facilitate a workshop that is both engaging and educational. This is designed as a drop in workshop and is perfect for all ages and community groups.

Have A Go Circus, Rotating Workshop – A workshop available for schools and community groups.

This is a more structured workshop designed for a set group of students. This workshop has either a 60min, 90 min or 120 min duration and can be customised for different sized groups. This workshop can also take place over a series of days, to expand the circus curriculum. We begin with a fun demonstration show at the start, explaining how to use each piece of circus equipment and also what years of practice can accomplish. The students then break up into groups and start at a circus station, rotating around each station until every group has experienced each activity.

Both of the above workshops have the option of a formal presentation by the students at the end of their sessions as an opportunity to perform their newly learnt skills to their friends and family.

Circus Workshops are a great way to bring more community involvement to your home town. It’s also a fantastic way to bring an incursion to the school without having a company drive to and from the city for just one day.

There are workshops for all ages, ranging from primary school to upper school and also university. We can teach one class – or the whole community!

Circus is a great addition for schools and the community because:

It promotes a Non-Competitive environment – Ricochet Circus fosters an inclusive, non-competitive environment. Most physical activities have a competitive element but circus skills do not. They are creative and artistic while still being energetic and engaging.

It builds Confidence and Self-Esteem – Being able to do impressive things improves confidence in yourself. Creating opportunities for students to learn new skills and perform in front of an audience boosts self-esteem and allows them to develop their social skills along with their physical skills.

It works as a Leveler – In circus all students are equal and it is and our differences that are in fact our strengths. The people who do the best at circus skills are the ones most determined to learn. This is especially important because it can engage students who are less enthusiastic about participating in other traditional sports.

We can also offer a Technical Theatre workshop that covers basic audio, lighting, staging and terminology. This can be offered as a community based workshop or a more intimate professional development session.

Reviews

TESTIMONIALS:

“An absolutely hilarious, unique, and talented performer, Morgan James will have the crowd in stitches with his magnetic larrikin personality, random wit, and skill-fully executed circus acts. A show for the whole family with unforgettable laughs. An all round first-class show and a true delight to see Morgan James doing what he does best!” – Dan Holzman, Guinness World Record Holding Juggler & International Jugglers’ Association Excellence Award Winner USA

POST SHOW AUDIENCE REVIEWS

“Ricochet Circus! Hilarious comedy and astounding entertainment!”

“Morgan James was energetic, engaging and hilarious. The audiences absolutely loved the show and were constantly laughing and getting involved. His brilliant performance was rightfully acknowledged by FRINGE WORLD who awarded “Mr Ricochet’s Family Circus Show” as the WA Winner for the Children’s Award 2018″

“Morgan has a fantastic way of involving adults and children into his shows and our sometimes timid audience all got involved, left with smiles on their faces and provided some sensational feedback.”

“Hugely talented and highly professional, our audience was engrossed with a combination of humour, skill and showmanship captivating children and adults alike.”

“Morgan James is a wonderful entertainer who goes out of his way to ensure the crowds that he is performing in front of, or the children he is teaching circus skills to are entertained with his enthusiasm and passion.”

Available Marketing Collaterals

A One Man Circus has Professional Posters, Flyer Artwork, Promotional Videos, Promotional Photos, Media Releases available for promoters and Educational Support Packages and workshop programs available for school groups.

Credits

MORGAN JAMES – PRODUCER, PERFORMER

Morgan James is an artistic director, entertainment coordinator, choreographer, headline solo performer and entertainment specialist. With 20 years’ experience in the industry and a great passion for bringing high-energy circus to West Australian communities, Morgan James is one of the top entertainers in the country. Morgan James has used his knowledge and expertise to curate entertainment programs for large scale community events.

Notable festivals include Goldfields Kidsfest, Belmont Imaginarium, Below Zero Winter Festival,Karratha’s FeNaCl Festival and City of Kwinana’s OMG! Fringe Festival.

For more than half his life, Morgan James has been performing all over the world as a headline solo performer at large scale festivals, on luxury cruise ships and bringing the circus to communities all over Western Australia. Morgan James has been a feature act at some of the best festivals in the world – Bamberg Zaubert in Germany, SomerFest in Belgium, Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, Auckland International Buskers Festival in New Zealand and Fremantle International Street Arts Festival.

In 2018 Morgan James was awarded the Fringe World Family Entertainment Award for his sold out Fringe show – Mr. Ricochet’s Family Circus Show and 2021 Family Entertainment Award for the hit show Best Show Ever in which he both produced and performed. More recently Morgan James has produced and stared in his new show A One Man Circus, completing a season with Fringe World in 2022 and walking away with three weekly awards and the overall best children’s event award.

HANNAH PORTWINE – PRODUCTION MANAGER

Graduating from Stage Management at WAAPA in 2015, Hannah has worked as a Technical Stage and Production Manager across a broad range of theatre projects. She has worked nationally and internationally at Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Perth Festival, The Last Great Hunt, Barking Gecko Theatre, The Blue Room Theatre, Fliptease/Access Circus, Awesome International Arts Festival, Fringe World, and Fairbridge Folk Festival to name a few. Her festival background has given her a passion for circus, sideshow and large scale spectacle. With over 12 years of industry experience, including corporate and council events for the cities of Perth, Joondalup, South Perth, Karratha and Fremantle, Hannah is stoked to be joining Ricochet Circus as their Production Manager for A One Man Circus.