Malia Walsh – Feature Artist Interview

For those who haven’t come across Malia Walsh before she is an unstoppable force of nature – performer, director, producer, creator, partner and soon to be the mother of two!

I’ve known Malia for years now but never knew her background and always wanted to know more, so I shot her a bunch of questions at the end of 2017 and here it is for your reading and viewing pleasure – an interview about her herstory, creating work and tips on keeping a career going with small peoples attached to you.

*Don’t forget to click on the links to find out about her amazing work.

Enjoy.

Where did you grow up?

Deep in suburban bliss of Glen Iris, Melbourne.

What were you like as a kid? Do you have any memories of when you were a kid that hint at what was to come?

I am the youngest and the only girl in my family. I had scabby knees, messy hair and a wild imagination but did ballet 3 nights a week.

My favourite game in primary school was playing hide and seek on my own. I did have friends, but I enjoyed the game more on my own because it was more challenging. Needless to say, I was a little weirdo.

When and how did you get into circus?

I went to a bunch of festivals when I was 15 and fell in love with fire spinning. I was obsessed and didn’t put them down and started to gig solidly when I was 20 after returning from busking around the States. Fire was super fresh and I was lucky enough to perform internationally on the corporate circuit

I met Shannon McGurgan when I was 25 in a pub, he and another performer from Circus Royal started throwing me to each other across the bar and I was forever hooked on Adagio.

What do you think drove you to make circus a career? Can you remember the moment when you realised that you were a ‘professional’? 

I think I have always been NQR, so performing for me is a kind of self-medication… all my crazy gets expressed on stage so my normal life is super stable. Maybe circus, for me is a necessity rather than a career.

I remember the exact moment I became a professional circus performer, I quit my job at the pub and announced it to everyone. I’ve got a ton of shameless pride so I couldn’t go back on my word… I lived in a cupboard, ate toast and baked beans for a year before I’d built up enough work to live properly.

How did you build your skills? 

A combination of OCD, YouTube and a very patient Shannon McGurgan.

Who has been some of your teachers/mentors over the years? Do any standout and why?

Clare Bartholomew (Die Roten Punkte, We3), Sue Broadway (Director, performer and founding member of Circus Oz), Phil Burgers (Dr Brown), Kate Fryer (Dislocate) and Sharon Gruenert (A Good Catch) and Ian Pidd (The Village,). All of who have given me a ton of advice, encouragement or inspiration. Ian Pidd stands out for me as he continues to inspire, he is a powerhouse of ideas and takes a ton of risks.

Whats the one piece of advice you’ve been given that has stuck with you?

Do one thing every day that scares you.

In 2008 you formed Circus Trick Tease – what is the story behind forming that company & how did it come about?

Shannon McGurgan, Farhad Ahadi and I made a trio act which was heaps of fun so we turned it into a show one night on a pub napkin. It lit a fire under my arse and I booked us shows solidly for 3 years.

Circus Trick Tease – Aussie Aussie Aussie Teaser 2016 – Video By Underground Media

 

What are your top #5 tips for running a small company in Australia?

Be true to the work.

Be generous with your success

Honesty

No sleep

Don’t surround yourself with sycophants

Can you talk about your process when you go about creating acts/shows?  Have you got a regular way you go about it or is it always different?

I have many different approaches.

For quick acts (like a corporate gig), I ask who is my audience? Why am I doing it? What do I want the audience to feel? Everything will just roll from there.

For more artistic projects I will sit on a concept for a long time. I work out what the work means on many different levels and I will visualize every moment down to what my toes are doing when I breathe and when I blink.

Sometimes I just think Fuck it, let’s see what happens!

But I always have a core motto which I always go back to… whether it’s an act or a show. Something simple, meaningful and exact. Mottos have been – you are fierce, everything is going wrong, stillness and what if I farted in your face.

Lastly, never assume you “got it” always go over things before you go on stage.

When and how did your hit show ‘Children are Stinky’ come about?

The concept was ready to go for Melbourne Fringe 2015, originally with me and Shannon but he had to pull out the last min. So I called Chris Carlos (Spin Circus) to see if he knew anyone and he put his hand up. Our core ideas were “make children feel proud of themselves” and “always enjoy it” and we have, in fact, the show changes every season to accommodate the Joy.

It’s been a wild ride, the debut season opened on a Saturday morning and the whole season had sold out by that afternoon. It’s been such a joy, we’ve loved every season.

How was the show created? And did you have a director or outside eye?  

The work was made very quickly so we only had time for one showing before we opened. There was only one kid at our showing but Kate Fryer’s daughter is a total legend and should actually have a cut of the work, her advice made the show.

We had no outside eye or director. I designed the costumes and chose tracks. I already had the concept there so it rolled out pretty quickly we made the show in 7 rehearsals. Chris and I have a similar sense of humour so the whole process was really stupid and fun.

We have also had some super help from our heroes after the first season including Clare Bartholomew, Dan Tobias (Die Roten Punkte), Ian Pidd but mainly we listened to our audiences and stayed true to our core moto.

 

The show has had great success touring nationally and internationally to festivals – what are some of the things about Stinky that you think makes it successful?

I’m actually floored and continually humbled by the success, I still don’t understand! I wish I knew so I could apply it to other works.

The name of the show and image are very powerful, the little farting cartoon draws in the children and the title appeals to the parents. It evokes teasing and usually, some kind of argument builds, by the time children come to the show they are ready for a fight. The energy in the theatre before a show is palpable, kids are ready for a battle to prove themselves and it’s so exciting and makes for a great opening.

Also, our word of mouth is out of control. Parents blog about how strong and confident their kids feel after the show. The parents love the soundtrack and 90’s in-jokes and the show is awash with dad jokes. Something for everyone!

Chris’s merch idea of Whoopie cushions was bloody genius.

Like a good animated film, there is loads in the show which is aimed at the parents opposed to the kids – what’s your process of finding those things that work for the adults but isn’t too much for the kids? Have there been ideas that you and Chris loved but which stepped over the line too much, got an example? 

We have a pretty murky line here, Chris tends to push it a lot more than I do. We once spent an hour arguing about a boob joke… Chris won and it’s in the show and it’s one of the best bits.

It’s been a gradual process, gently working new material over the seasons. We’ve definitely gone over the line once or twice, apparently “that’s what she said” isn’t funny at a kids show.

I think the adult jokes work because never actually say anything rude, we just encourage people to get in the gutter.

You’ve just re-cast the show – How did that come about? Why? How did your casting process work and why did you choose Kyle Raftery and April Dawson (Both previously with Circus Oz) in the end?

We both still love the show but artistically need a break. Chris has some acrobatic goals and is smashing it with his new trio. I needed to make some meta as fuck fringe work so timing wise it worked out well.

Recasting was quite funny actually, we felt like teenagers asking someone to the school dance. We just felt they (Kyle & April) were a no-brainer and were thrilled they agreed. They are hard working, smart as hell, stupidly talented and ridiculously lovely… we are so lucky to have them.

*They just won best children’s show at Perth’s Fringe World 2018

Your now a mum, your partner is a touring performer/creator too (Hamish Fletcher – Puppeteer & uber maker of things – Men of Steel)   – how do you juggle touring, partnering and parenting? 

Ugh, it’s hard. It’s been really hard. Hamish and I moved into a new place in June and to date I’ve spent 3 weeks there. Sometimes you get it easy and sometimes you have to suck it up. At the end of the day I feel really lucky to have a job I adore so I’m happy to do anything to keep it going.

What are your top tips for touring with a kid? 

Roll with it.

Pack snacks.

Drink beer.

 

Whats your most memorable tour/showbiz story?

So many! I’ve performed for Mick Jagger at a private party, I’ve caught a seaplane to a private island to perform a set between Ricky Martin and J Lo, I flew to Tokyo for 10 hours to do a 5min act. But I think selling out the full season at Edinburgh Fringe was the most unbelievable.

You jump between performing more ‘Adult’ shows and the kid’s show – do you prefer either?

I love them both. The feedback from kids is incredible, you can really see the impact of the show on their faces instantly. Little kids telling me that they now feel strong and brave, makes my heart explode.

I do adult shows because it scares the shit out of me, I always do something which makes me uncomfortable or pushes me artistically.

On that, you just did a new project –  ‘Can’t face’ For Melbourne fringe – Can you describe the show and how it came about?

All 4 (Malia, Vince Van Berkel, Carol Cates & Jamie Bretman) of us had a lot of things to say. We all share an interested in the concept of laughing at the unsaid, the ugly, the buffoon. The show is about saggy titties, racism, dealing with your early period, over-sexualisation, the end of the world. These things are deafening but rarely addressed. It’s all too heavy and depressing but with circus and clown, it’s a mix of funny and sad which makes those topics accessible.

*Since this Interview was done CAN’T FACE has performed to rave reviews at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (and won awards! 😉 )

What keeps driving you to create and perform? 

I love the drama of knowing you are so close to failure all the time…a joke doesn’t land, you don’t make a trick, the audience hates you. It’s so exciting and terrifying!

Do you have a favourite routine to perform? 

I’m loving my marshmallow act at the moment, I have a male volunteer jam 32 marshmallows into my mouth to “American Woman”. I love all the layers, people thinking I’m one thing then flipping it, the relationship with the guy, the disgust, the underlying tones, the resolve. I’ve found 1 in 10 volunteers turn aggressive and having an audience witness that is very on point at the moment. It’s been interesting keeping control of the situation when I can’t speak.

Why do you think Australia has such a thriving ‘Circus’ scene/community?

I love the Aussie circus scene, and I think that is a testament to Tony Rooke (National Circus Festival). He brought people together for years to build a culture of sharing, support and respect. The generosity and love from the crews of Casus, Trash Test Dummies, Elixer, Briefs, Djuki Mala and Highwire is wonderful. There is no competition or ego, we all recommend each other for work and give out hot tips when we find them. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.

What do you think are some of the biggest obstacles performers face in Australia?

Nothing, we are so ridiculously lucky here. If you are ever feeling downtrodden or having a whinge about that grant rejection, picture yourself in the slums of India trying to make it as a juggler.

Top tips to emerging performers entering the scene?

Get on stage as often as possible.

Contact people who make work you like, ask them everything.

There is no such thing as a bad audience… if it’s not working, it’s your fault.

Dig your claws in and don’t let go.

 

How do you think Circus as an art form can effect positive social change?

Circus is the only job which is accepting of all walks of life, be you big or small, weird or mainstream, male or female, nerd or jock there is a place for you in circus and we celebrate differences… everyone is someone’s hero in circus. We would be sorted if only there was that kind of respect in daily life.

What else are you into besides circus? Hobbies?

I’m a secret quilter… needle, thread and a bit of Dwayne Johnson on the telly is my idea of heaven.

[Now some questions I unashamedly stole from Tim Ferriss (excellent Author & Podcast Interviewer) ]

Favourite book you’ve read recently? 

‘Don’t’ tell my mother I work on the rigs, she thinks I’m playing piano in a whore house’ – Paul Carter

If you could have a massive billboard up in a major city with anything written on it, what would it say?

Call your mum

When you think of the word ‘successful,’ who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?

Elena Kirshbaum – ( Performer, Producer, Festival organiser – Highwire Entertainment, Gluttony) She is fit, generous, talented and smart. Nothing bloody stops her and she is always smiling. Her projects get bigger and bolder every year and she is always as cool and calm as can be.

What is something you believe that other people think is insane?

Pineapple on a pizza is a culinary disgrace

What is your favourite documentary or film?

Starship Troopers, don’t judge me.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last 6 months?

Rediscovering ice-cream… all your life problems wash away with that frozen goodness.

Do you have a morning ritual? 

I. HATE. MORNINGS.

What topic would you talk about if you were asked to do a TED talk outside your area of expertise?

I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on anything… maybe it could be “how the fuck did I get here” or “I can’t believe I’m still standing” or “if you send enough emails you will eventually get a gig”

What advice would you give your 10-years-ago self?

Everything’s going to be alright, just stick at it kiddo.

How has a failure or apparent failure, set you up for later success? or do you have a favourite failure?

Embrace the failure! You will learn more from it than winning. When I was first learning to speak on stage I was terrified of making a mistake, I would have panic attacks about it… one show in Adelaide I minced my words so much I heard the audience gasp, I made a joke about it and we got one of the biggest laughs of the show. As a result my anxiety subsided and my performances improved.

What is something weird that happens to you on a regular basis?

The town crazy gravitates to me, whatever city whatever time. Me and the eccentric become best mates. I love it, so many good stories.

 

What have you changed your mind about in the last few years? Why?

I don’t think success is a ladder anymore, I use to have epic lists of things I had to achieve. Now I think it is more of a wandering path on a flat plane. Sometimes you’ll find your success on a path which travels backwards. Success to me is how high I hold my head and joy in all the various paths I’ve wondered down.

 

Name 3-5 things that you always take on tour with you?

1 – a weird ugly good luck charm of knitted pink ribbon that lives in the stinky kit

2 – a sock from my wee boy.

3 – outfit of confidence (outfit subject to change but it a power suit of placebo power only to be worn when needed).

4 – magnesium (obviously)

Whats the future hold for you? Where would you like to be in 5 years professionally?

We’ve just moved up to Woodend a 20 acre block of bushland and are working toward building a creative hub. We already have a recording studio, a small rehearsal space and space for 4 artists to stay.

We are saving up for a large rehearsal space equipped with aerial capabilities and a stage for mini-festivals or monthly shows. My parents are in the arts and partner is a puppeteer and prop builder. The vision is a space where arts crossover and shows are built.

 

There you have it-  Malia Walsh! What a legend.

Keep up to date with all things Malia at www.circustricktease.com/

*Don’t forget to click on the ‘hotlinks’ to find out about the other amazing companies and performers she name checks!

Thank you so much, Malia, for the awesome interview and good luck with bubba No.2!!

I hope you all enjoyed that.

Peace and Respect to all,

Hamish

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