Hudsons Circus: Shane Lennon Makes Traditional Circus Modern

Hudson’s Circus – Shane Lennon Makes Traditional Circus Modern

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Artists & Creators Australia and New Zealand 

Hudson’s Circus – Shane Lennon Makes Traditional Circus Modern

Ira Seidenstein
Shane is from the Lennon Family that has owned and operated circuses in Australia and New Zealand for over 120 years. He is fifth generation and grew up in the circus travelling throughout the Australian outback towns and major cities. His working life began by operating the sideshows and dodgem cars in his teens. Shane always leaned towards the logistics and marketing side of the circus with many roles he’s taken throughout the years working in the family business. He eventually progressed from managing the amusements side of the business. In 1994, at the age 23, his father, Lindsay Lennon, offered him a role in running a new edition of Burtons Circus. Burtons Circus had a proud history of presenting circus in Australia since 1851. Shane has managed, Lennon’s, Burton’s, The Edgley Family’s Great Moscow Circus, and Hudson’s. His father was also a tentmaker and Shane managed that business called Super Tents Australia.
Nancy Lee Weaver (Lennon) was born in Montreal, Canada. She trained at Dartmouth Titans Gymnastics Training Centre in Nova Scotia. She graduated with a theatre degree from Dawson College. Nancy studied at Toronto School of Circus Arts. Her trapeze trainer, Joel Banks, convinced Nancy to head Down Under. Soon she was working in Lennon Brothers Circus, met Shane and they married. Together they created and operate Hudson’s Circus. I had the chance to sit down and interview Shane at The Australian Circus Festival in Brisbane. ...
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Ira Seidenstein

Ira Seidenstein has worked in over 140 live productions. After working in Cirque du Soleil's Corteo he created such projects as: The Madness of King Lear (Avignon, Edinburgh); The Book of Clown (Adelaide 2017), Commedia Toto (Italy); Cubist Clown Cavalcade (Paris): A Flower of the Lips (Sydney); and directed 18 actors in the uncut "Antony & Cleopatra" (Sydney). He has worked in 20 Shakespeare productions including 10 of the plays such as directing Henry the Fifth with 12 women; and, 10 adaptations including his comedy "A Girl's Guide to Hamlet". In 2012/13 Ira was in Slava's Snowshow in Europe and Australia. As a veteran performer he trained 6 years in Suzuki Actor Training Method and worked in ten Suzuki style productions. He has portrayed over 75 clown characters including: Corteo's White Clown, and, Dead Clown; and playing "Harlequin" over an 8 years span. He trained as an Iyengar yoga teacher, was a tumbling and comic acrobat, mime, slapstick comedian, classical actor, director, playwright, and choreographed over 200 comic sketches and slapstick acts. His Masters Degree is in "Visual and Performing Arts", and his Doctorate is in Education. Recently he performed for the first time in a full scale ballet as a centraI character. Ira Seidenstein's workshops are practical and creative use of body-mind-spirit. The practical base is physical using "The Four Articulations for Performance" (see www.iraseid/method.html). He is the Founder of I.S.A.A.C. - International School for Acting And Creativity and personally mentors clowns, teachers, choreographers, and directors internationally.