Southern Fruit Flies swarm CQ

Seventeen fruit flies from NSW will hit the Pilbeam theatre Wednesday night

Taj Murphy, Ellie Marks and Gaby Lee are part of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus which appears at the Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton Wednesday night. Picture: Jann Houley

IMAGINE a school with juggling, acrobats and travels around the world.

There is only one such school in Australia and tomorrow it will bring a thrilling show to Rockhampton audiences.

The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, which was formed in Albury-Wodonga 40 years ago, is travelling through Queensland on its way to Alice Springs and Darwin.

JUNK takes you on a journey back to a time when the neighbourhood street was a playground full of adventure and make-believe.

An ordinary boy, dressed head-to-toe in contemporary safety gear, discovers an abandoned junkyard inhabited by a gang of wild-at-heart kids.

With boundless enthusiasm the group urge him to play as children once did: without inhibition and free from adult supervision.

The twin town troupe's tongue-twister title is a playful reference to the interstate quarantine borders over which travellers are forbidden to carry fruit.

Taj Murphy's whole family moved to NSW from Western Australia four years ago so he and two of his siblings could attend the school and hone their skills travelling with the circus.

Yet, when asked what he would like to be in the future, 14-year old Taj said "an engineer”.

"Maybe an engineer who designs the equipment and travels around with the circus,” he said.

The performers manage their school studies independently as they travel around Australia and overseas which their manager said keeps their "eyes wide open”.

At 16, Ellie Marks has been with the circus for eight years and said when you get to travel around you get to see each community and how different they are.

The full-time program is one of the best in the world, collaborating with China's Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and the Moscow Circus.

Many of its students choose to continue their training in renowned centres of excellence such as the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne or École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, or transition straight into the industry.

The cast of 17 aged 10-17 are also looking forward to meeting with students from Woorabinda, who are on an excursion to the Home exhibition at the art gallery next door to the theatre.

• The hour-long show takes place at the Pilbeam Theatre from 7.30pm tomorrow.
• Tickets available at the door or book online at seeitlive.com

Originally published as Southern Fruit Flies swarm CQ