If you’ve never seen a Circa production before, Humans 2.0 is a stunning entry point into their world — and if you have, this latest offering from the acclaimed Brisbane-based company is next-level.
Presented at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse, Humans 2.0 is the kind of show that keeps your jaw slack for the full 70 minutes. With no interval and no narrative in the traditional sense, it’s a hypnotic blend of physical theatre, acrobatics, and dance, set to an electronic soundscape by Ori Lichtik that reverberates through your bones.
Photo credit: David Kelly
Under the vision of director Yaron Lifschitz, the ensemble moves like a single organism — lifting, catching, balancing, and launching each other across the stage. One minute it’s serene and precise; the next, wild and instinctive. Towers form and crumble, pairs push and pull, groups twist and collapse. There’s tension and release, trust and risk, in every breath and muscle twitch.
Photo credit: David Kelly
The lighting by Paul Jackson is stark and theatrical, often isolating individuals or creating sudden washes that transform the space from warm to cold in a blink. The performers wear simple costumes because the spectacle here is entirely in the human body and what it can do when pushed to the limit.
Photo credit: David Kelly
There’s no talking, no tricks, no safety net — just pure connection and control. It’s less about individual stunts and more about the collective, pulsing rhythm of movement. The moments of stillness are as captivating as the airborne flips.
Photo credit: David Kelly
You’ll leave unsure of what just happened but certain you’ve witnessed something extraordinary.
Humans 2.0 is on at Arts Centre Melbourne until 24 May. Go check it out, and take someone who needs a reminder of what humans are capable of.
