Edward Gosling formed Chivaree Circus in 2012 along with his partner Laurane Marchive. The company have performed across the world and at some of the biggest and most raucous festivals, parties and club nights. Their latest project is Becoming Shades: a re-imagining of the classic myth of Persephone told through contemporary circus and bringing together live music, aerial acrobatics, fire, dance and mime. We talked to Edward about the storytelling, knife-throwing and opera that inspires his work.

Eli Goldstone: Hi Edward – did you always dream of running away to join the circus?

Edward Gosling: Yeah kind of. I saw a Cirque du Soleil show at the Albert Hall when I was about 10 and I never forgot it. I think it was the single most incredible thing that I saw as a child. I'm a bit more critical of what they do artistically as an adult – but in terms of what they make possible, geared towards family audiences, they are phenomenal.

Growing up no one tells you that being in the circus is an actual career, so I sort of had to first discover that it was possible.

But yes, on some level – since that show – it was always my dream.

Eli: Your background is in literature; in what ways has that inspired the shows that you’ve put on?

Edward: Literature and stories have always been really central to my understanding of the world. Growing up I had terrible nightmares so I used to read till 4 or 5 in the morning trying to get to a point where I was tired enough to fall asleep. I think because of that, I love words and ideas and I think that stories are really powerful tools that we can use to influence the world, to help us escape from it or to see it more clearly.

It's hard to give specifics because I think literature is ever present, but for example, when we've been asked to create something Victorian, it ends up being seen through the lens of Jekyll and Hyde. We made a show for a club night that was overlaid with quotes from Dante – which I suppose in hindsight is using something fairly high-brow for essentially a 2,500 person rave. Structurally our new show Becoming Shades is inspired by various works of literature that challenge the traditional linear nature of the story.

Eli: What’s special to you about circus performance?

Edward: I like art that explores deeper ideas and issues, but that can also capture your imagination and lift you out of your day to day reality. I think that's what circus – at it's best – can do. You're watching the extremes of what the body is capable of: strength, flexibility, skill, technique, accuracy, control, balance. The performer lives and dies on each movement, literally in the cases of some of the aerial work, and metaphorically in terms of something like juggling and this immediacy creates a really powerful connection between performer and audience. I think it's growing popularity over the last few decades is because it's an incredibly analogue experience in an increasingly screen-driven digital world.

Eli: How did Chivaree Circus come about?

Edward: I had taken a break from performing and was working as a fiction editor in a small independent publishing house. The work was lovely, but really unsuitable to me as a person in that it's very introverted. I set up Chivaree with my partner Laurane Marchive as an escape from that. Initially it was conceived as a small performance troupe which we could use to go to some festivals and parties and have some fun with. And then 6 months in we started to realise the potential in what we were doing and I quit my job to focus on it full time.

Eli: How does the collaborative aspect of the company work?

Edward: Circus by its nature is collaborative... traditionally everyone in the company from the hula hoopers to the riggers to the people selling popcorn would put up the big top together and that attitude has stuck around. I think in part because circus is about the troupe rather than the individual and because when you lift people into the air you put your lives in each other’s hands everyday it still retains this very democratic mutual feeling.

For our company we try to direct and lead artists so there is a shared creative vision, but ultimately you have to also step back and respect their choices in regards to some of the choreography and movements. Because each performer's skills are slightly different and they do things in slightly different ways, it's always a case of give and take – as opposed, I guess, to something like ballet. Laurane and I have quite complimentary dispositions in that she is really good at details and I'm good at looking at the big picture – sometimes we argue, but always with a deep respect for the other person's ideas and always knowing we'll come to an understanding fairly soon.

Chivaree Circus presents Becoming Shades from Chivaree Circus on Vimeo.

Eli: Tell us a little about your new project at VAULT festival, Becoming Shades. It looks like a spectacular and high-concept affair.

Edward: Well it's an immersive story made up of impressions, reflections and tableaus. It retells the story of Persephone – but instead of her being kidnapped by Hades, she is in charge of her decisions and choices. It has some really high-level aerial and acrobatics; it's got some big fire elements (including our fire aerial hoop as a finale); and it's essentially trying to tell a story through movement. But that all sounds really serious. There is also some comedy. Plus the music, which was composed entirely for the show by Sam West and Becks Johnstone, is gorgeous. Both of the musicians are classically trained opera singers and play a plethora of instruments so we're trying to mix this all together. At some points the circus and narrative is the focus and at others the music is allowed to take centre stage – again it's about that sense of collaboration and trying to value all of the performers equally.

Eli: How will it be adapted from the original show at Jacksons Lane?

Edward: Jackson's Lane is a great theatre, and it was a real privilege to be able to present the show there in the summer. We sold out in 10 days and the feedback was really good. But that is an end on traditional theatre – in terms of the setup. What we are doing at VAULT festival is quite different in that there are no seats and as an audience you will be able to move through the space with performances happening at different places above and around you. Part of the show is made up of cyclical fragments that repeat themselves through different angles, so it's important that the audience will experience it like this – and ultimately I think it will make it more exciting.

Eli: Looking at the description of the aims of Becoming Shades I’m intrigued by the feminist aims of the show, in terms of reclaiming the marginalised or limiting roles written for women and girls. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Edward: Sure. Essentially, I think inequality for one is inequality for all. So for me feminism is just as much about trying to create more visible characters for women and girls which is what we are doing here, as it is to address why suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 45 in the UK.

How many films have you watched recently where there were no women or where the women were barely functioning characters? If Shakespeare was able to create interesting stories about male and female characters 400 years ago we should be able to do the same in 2016. Having an empowered female lead is good, but it is not enough, they need to be complex and multifaceted. We're reclaiming a story that is traditionally about male violence and sexuality towards a womenand transforming it. The action is seen through Persephone's eyes so that she is not just a character – she is the voice of the story and the one telling it.

Eli: You’re running a Kickstarter to help fund the show, what special treats are in store for your backers?

Edward: Yes it's quite an ambitious show, especially with live music and circus and the rehearsal needed to make it work in the promenade environment and we need help funding it. For me one of the best rewards is the EP that is currently being mixed and mastered of music from the show. I can't emphasise enough how good I think the music is and how lucky we are to work with the two musicians. There are also some cool perks like hopelessly romantic mugs, for those who like to enjoy a hot drink whilst pondering on the languishing nature of undying love. And because a lot of our work is about making beautiful individual costumes, we are offering unique bespoke headpieces – which are pretty special because we never normally sell or rent any of our costumes.

Eli: Finally, you’ve done lots of work at parties and festivals, are there some favourites you can tell us about?

Edward: YES!! But so many to choose from. The party scene in London – despite so many venues closing – is still really exciting. We've worked closely with Rumpus who throw fantastic, colourful, glittery parties. Coming up we're doing a winter show for The Last Tuesday Society on new years eve eve which should be great fun. Carousel is now on hiatus but we did some shows I'm really proud of retelling cult films and musicals for a few years. In the summer we did a cabaret in a masonic temple in Liverpool Street for A Curious Invitation, and hopefully in February we'll get to work with them at the Coronet: one of my favourite venues that has a year left before it too sadly closes. Also check out Wonderland which is a lovely pixie rave party. And Imaginarium throw fantastic alt / goth / fetish / space / glitter / Drum and Bass nights about 4 times a year – it's rare to find that kind of music where everyone is up for the party and no one takes themselves too seriously.

Festival-wise, last year we made a show for producer Jon Hopkins and went on his European tour to headline festivals like Glastonbury, Latitude, Primavera, Electric Picnic + which was incredible to do and a big high for our company.

If you want something more left-field, I'd recommend checking out Wildfire Adventure camp where we've taught circus for the last few years and you can learn things like bushcraft, swing-dancing, and knife throwing. Finally, our friends at Leefest are now reworking the festival as a Peter Pan themed world which we did a big fire-show for last year at the Pirate Mine – I'm expecting that to be even bigger and better next summer.

For me the best festival in the UK is Boomtown – which needs to be seen to be believed!

Becoming Shades

25th – 29th Jan 2017

Vault Festival