Floating tension, flying bodies: One Fell Swoop Circus brings spectacle of engineering and circus to Warrnambool quarry
- Courtney Mathew
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 17
The Warrnambool Community Garden’s transformed quarry amphitheatre will host a striking fusion of contemporary circus and visible engineering this Saturday 18 April, as Melbourne‑based One Fell Swoop Circus presents its newest work, In Common.
At the heart of the performance is a large‑scale tensegrity structure: a seemingly impossible skeleton of steel poles held aloft by an intricate network of ropes, pulleys and tensioned cables.
The structure appears to float, with pressure and force spread across the entire system so that every element “carries” the others, a principle that engineers, rock climbers and arborists will recognise as the essence of tensional integrity.
The rigging design is a collaboration between Jonanthan Morgan, the company’s co‑director and resident engineer‑acrobat, and rigger Beau Dudding. Jonathan brings both circus and engineering expertise to the project, treating the tensegrity frame as a living, load‑bearing sculpture that must be predictable and safe under the stress of tumbling, balancing and flying bodies.
The team use climbing and rope access equipment - carabiners, slings, and pulleys - deployed in ways that will resonate with audiences who understand the physics of ropes and load‑sharing. The structure is not just a backdrop; it shifts and hums as the acrobats move through, on and around it.
The performance echoes the story of the quarry itself. Once dismissed as an eyesore, the council quarry has been transformed over more than a decade into a lush, award‑winning garden and performance amphitheatre.
The long‑term, volunteer‑driven project has won the Premier’s Sustainability Awards 2022 in the Sustainable Places and Destinations category and been recognised as a finalist in the Banksia Sustainability Awards. That same balance of persistence, care and shared responsibility underpins the show.
The quarry’s history also speaks to a different kind of rigging. At one time there were at least 12 quarries in Warrnambool, with workers cutting and moving massive blocks using hand‑picks and horse‑drawn cranes, often with minimal safety equipment.
This weekend’s performance is in many ways a reversal: instead of cutting stone from the rock, the company is suspending human bodies and engineered structures in the air above the quarry floor, using rigorous safety standards and modern rigging practices.
Tonia Wilcox, Deputy-Convenor, Warrnambool Community Garden comments “Seeing the quarry become a stage for this kind of work is extraordinary. Just as the garden grew out of a weedy hole in the ground, In Common shows how tension, trust and shared effort can turn something fragile into something strong."
"The structure literally embodies what we’re trying to build in our community, and the fact that this long‑term project has been recognised at both state and national levels underlines how much can be achieved when people stay committed to a shared vision.”
The show takes place on Saturday 18 April, 5 to 7pm, in the amphitheatre of the Warrnambool Community Garden’s converted quarry. There will be live music, food trucks and a bar for refreshments with attendees encouraged to pack a picnic rug to enjoy the space prior and post event.
The event is a ticketed community fundraiser for the volunteer‑run Warrnambool Community Garden, supporting sustainable food production and community connection. Tickets are available at $21 for adults and $9 for under 18s.
The garden extends its thanks to generous supporters: Jamie Tait, Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, William & Linsday Brodie Foundation, Ray & Joyce Uebergang Foundation, Jan Braun, Rod Sheard, Eda Ritchie, Dawn’s Production Solutions, Oaklands Productions, Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Langley’s Holiday Accommodation, Hire Australia and Tim Edwards Audio.
Tickets are available at $21 for adults and $9 for under 18s.
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