About NICA Performs
From time to time, our building transforms to showcase the latest emerging talent of the circus industry. Sweeping away the crashmats and enveloping the seating bank in velveteen curtains, our beloved National Circus Centre converts into an immersive theatre space located just off Chapel Street, Prahran.
NICA routinely invites national and international directors to work alongside students to produce shows that are truly inspiring. Performances double as assessment pieces for our artists, who work on these projects with admirable dedication throughout the year.
BEHIND THE VEIL
15 – 19 September
Behind the Veil
Welcome to a world where perfection is manufactured, productivity is worshipped, individuality has become a dangerous defect, and every smile has been carefully rehearsed.
Behind the Veil questions the hierarchies and structures within society through the world of a kooky circus ensemble, where breathtaking physical feats collide with dark satire. Every movement is synchronised, everybody is optimised, and every mistake is unacceptable.
As the mechanisms of this perfectly engineered existence begin to fail, performers reclaim something far more dangerous than perfection: choice and freedom.
Directed by Kate Fryer.
15 – 19 September 2026
Audience Reviews
"Remarkable and a full house. Even the babies in the audience were captivated! Very highly recommended." — Jennifer Beasley, Theatre Matters, Proteus (2025)
"The choreography, set design, lighting, costumes and music were so magical that the audience was hesitant to applaud individual moments of outstanding acrobatics, for fear of breaking the spell." — Audience member, Fall With Me (2024)
"Startlingly good." — Ruth Richter, Stage Whispers, ON/OFF (2023)
"At the end, we thought it was half time - that’s how enthralled we were!" — Audience member, ONEIRIC (2023)
"If this was an exam, this 2nd year ensemble passes with flying colours for their very professional performance." — Jen, Weekend Notes, Within These Walls (2023)
backstage
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