Founding member of Race Horse Company, Rauli Kosonen (third on the left) answers a few questions ahead of the company’s UK tour which starts at Pontio, Bangor on 20th April 2017.
How did Race Horse Company start?
The company was started by three circus students in 2008, one of whom was me. We wanted to create a raw, physical circus show and tour it around the world. But we had no idea how to go about it. There were just a few new circus companies on the scene at that time so we asked one of them – Circo Aereo – to help us out. The Finnish circus scene has always had a can-do, never-give-up attitude!
Why are you called Race Horse Company?
Circus as we know it today started as acrobatic tricks with horses running round a circle. We were also struck by an image we saw of a racing horse running for its life. It felt like its raw energy fitted our style of doing circus. We had a red book full of name suggestions, each one equally bad. And Race Horse Company was the least bad one!
What do you think is distinctive about Race Horse Company?
We love to amaze and amuse our audiences but I think we’d still do what we do with no audience at all. We want to be true to our concept of circus so we always try to tell our story or express our idea through our circus skills. Circus is all about improving and expanding your skills and, for us, the same applies to creating shows. We never want to do the same thing twice, so we are always thinking of new ways to do things – and of new things to do.
Super Sunday has been called a daredevil ride of a show. What do you enjoy about it the most? And what do you think audiences like about it?
I like the honesty of it all, having fun with my friends on stage and the relaxed way of performing. I´m sure audiences will enjoy all the big tricks and stunts in the show and the way it surprises you and makes you laugh. We’ve never had a quiet audience!
The show was a hit in London in 2016, are you looking forward to taking it around the country?
OF COURSE! I just can´t get enough of British cider and cheddar!
Super Sunday is touring to: Pontio, Bangor; Lighthouse Poole; The Lowry, Salford; Theatre Royal, Norwich; Warwick Arts Centre; Derby Theatre and the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield.
