Love is often thought of as loud. Everywhere we turn there are stories shouting about love that has been hard won, that is on-again off-again, that is laced with trauma and tragedy. There are boombox declarations, nail-biting coming out scenes and sprints through Heathrow Airport. But what about love that is quiet — love that does not need words?
It is a love that takes centre stage in You & I, an internationally celebrated circus-theatre performance featuring Casus Creations co-founders Jesse Scott and Lachlan ‘Lachy’ McAulay. Coming to the Adelaide Fringe Festival this year, the show is an intimate depiction of the pair’s real-life partnership.
“It’s a love that is quiet,” Scott says. “It has been true and powerful for 17 years now.”
Sharing stories that are less told in society has been Scott and McAulay’s motivation since they founded Casus Creations with two other circus performers in 2011.
“We’ve created 15 different productions, [we’ve] toured in now over 35 countries around the world, we’ve had shows as big as 220 performers to intimate shows like You & I with just the two of us,” Scott says.
“There’s always a place for someone in circus… gender representation, queer representation, BIPOC representation is super important and in my opinion circus is a great way to show that.”
With You & I, Jesse says he and Lachlan wanted to share a queer story that centred trust and acceptance rather than tragedy.
“When we created the show in 2017 to 2018 — and times have changed really quickly — the representation of gays in cinema, in television, in storytelling, it always felt heavy and dark. They were token characters and they were full of trauma… and we went, ‘Where’s us?’”
Not fitting the labels of drag queen, twink or bear, the pair put their “soft masculinity” and tender bond onstage through the simple yet telling story of being stuck inside together during the rain.
“I get a bit stir crazy and Lachy has to calm me down,” Jesse says. “We’re not hiding behind extravagant costumes, makeup, any of that stuff. We’re trying to be raw and honest.
“The gender disappears a little bit, and you just see two humans that are in love onstage.”
As there is no talking in the performance, Jesse and Lachlan’s dynamic is all in their music, their set and, most importantly, their movement. Like their relationship, it is a movement that flows unconfined by genre, influenced by their work across the globe.
“We definitely have some choreography that’s Tango-esque,” Scott shares. “We did a theatre piece in France recently and there’s more theatrical stuff in You & I… it’s so cool to work with people that are at the top of their game and to learn so much from them.
“Circus is [about] pushing boundaries physically, so we’re always trying to create new ways of expressing these emotions and stories through our physicality.”
Scott says that while the vulnerability of appearing as himself was “terrifying” at first, he is very comfortable performing with Lachlan. “We trust each other like no one else, so there’s a comfort in doing it… it feels like our home onstage.”
Without speaking, the pair says it all — that love can be as simple as looking at another person and knowing they will catch you.
“We had some younger queers coming to the show and saying afterwards, ‘Thank you for letting me know that there is a possibility of love like that out there for me,’” Scott says. “It’s a nice thing to be able to do.
“We’re just trying to spread some joy.”
You & I, The Vault at Fool’s Paradise, 18 Feb-1 Mar, 6pm