Mario’s perfect
mixture of circus tricks, irresistible sex appeal, and Queen hits make him a
highlight of the worldwide phenomenon that is La Soiree. Here he talks to Diana
Radunz.
Clarke McFarlane embodies a true 'runaway to the circus' tale, of sorts.
Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Clarke was raised in a
traditional family. But he had non-traditional dreams of juggling and performing street
theatre. The life he knew changed while on a trip to Europe.
But before going to graduate school, his dream became a reality. From that moment on, he never looked back.
But before going to graduate school, his dream became a reality. From that moment on, he never looked back.
As I sit across from Clarke, it becomes clear that he is not
his on-stage persona. Kind, respectful and humble, he makes me feel at ease. I
would even almost call him 'serious'.
Well, that is in contrast to the alter ego he has created in Mario, Queen of the Circus.
A description of Mario: an egotistical yet extremely lovable Latin lothario, oozing sex appeal; he has a cheeky smile and beare a resemblance to Queen’s equally animated front man, Freddie Mercury.
Well, that is in contrast to the alter ego he has created in Mario, Queen of the Circus.
A description of Mario: an egotistical yet extremely lovable Latin lothario, oozing sex appeal; he has a cheeky smile and beare a resemblance to Queen’s equally animated front man, Freddie Mercury.
As he thoughtfully explains Mario’s origins from a theatre
show in New York City, he stabs the lime in his sparkling water several times.
It is at this moment I also notice the protruding veins and scars over his arms
that reveal the physicality of his profession.
He has become one of the stars of the global hit show, La
Soiree, and is a new addition to the cast performing at the Darwin Festival.
Diana: Where or when did you start performing?
Clarke: I’ve been into
acting and theatre stuff since I was about five, and then I started juggling when
I was 10. I took a year off college before going to grad school and I went over
to Europe and started street performing as a juggler. There I met people doing
that [juggling] as a profession and once I realised it that was a profession, I never
looked back.
Diana: How was the character of Mario, Queen of the Circus
developed?
Clarke: He was developed
through a theatre show I was doing with my ex-partner in New York. His name was
Mario, a bartender, and that went really well. But we then split up dramatically
and I was left with either [doing] street theatre with a hat [to collect money], or [doing] Mario. So, Mario had one number, and it was a Queen song. I said to my friend: "I can’t do
another number to another Queen song - that’s like a bad sequel". But he said, "No,
it’s a theme". So I said, "There it is: a theme," and I turned him into a big fan
of Queen and made a show for the street theatre circuit, which then got me
hooked up with La Clique which then became La Soiree.
Diana: What is it about Queen’s music that drew you to
perform using it?
Clarke: It’s funny, as
me, Clarke, I am a super fan of music but I am not a super fan of Queen; Mario
is. Mario is a character who likes Queen, and I mean, it’s just very believable
that there’s someone with this worship of Freddie Mercury, I mean there’s a lot
of people who love him.
Diana: How did you become involved with La Soiree?
Clarke: They were doing
the same kind of festivals where I was working at, and I started doing guest
spots as Mario with La Clique [La Soiree’s previous show] for a couple seasons.
Then, several years later, they needed some new cast members. I was on a
shortlist because I had appeared as a guest with them so many times and was
asked to [perform] in Melbourne for the first time in fall of 2007 and have stayed
on most seasons ever since.
Diana: How do you want audiences to feel when they watch you
perform?
Clarke: That’s a really
interesting question, because I want them to laugh, but I also play a character
and I guess I want them to relate to him. Mario is definitely an example of a
person with huge character faults and with very high self-esteem, but also with
a huge amount of sexual oppression as well. So I think a lot of people will
feel kind of liberated.
What:
La
Soiree
When:
Friday 16th–Sunday
25th August at 7pm (no show Monday)
Late shows on Friday and Saturday at 10pm
Extra Shows Announced:
Tuesday 27th August - Sun 1s September at 7pm
Friday 30th & Saturday 31st August at 10pm
Duration:
2hrs
(inc. interval)
Where:
Tickets:
Ringside Full $58
Ringside Conc & Group (8+) $48
Posh Seats $70
Standing $30
0 comments:
Post a Comment