The Flying Fruit Fly Circus in “Circus Under My Bed”. Photos by Daniel Boud

THE national youth circus, the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, will perform at the Canberra Theatre Centre, July 16-18, with a show that’s flying overseas, too.

After we see them, the 17 young regional artists, aged from nine to 19, based in Albury-Wodonga, head for the Australia in Turkey Festival at Istanbul’s state-of-the-art new Zorlu Centre and later take part in community workshops with schools and young people – a most unusual Gallipoli Year venture.

In “Circus Under My Bed”, nominated as Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production at the 2014 Helpmann Awards, the company is in classic storytelling mode. A young girl, Celeste, is pictured spending a final night in her bedroom before moving away and dreaming up a circus world of weird and wonderful characters to help her face her fears.

Needless to say, these imaginary characters can tumble, make you laugh and cry and, in short, entertain. The old circus routines are given new life as a mad chef spins plates while hungry children look on in alarm. Acrobats perform all of the stories Celeste has ever read, and their costumes come to life, too. As they stretch out their arms, the pages of books unfold from the inside of their elbows, more pages unfold from behind their knees.

And, in the time-honoured tradition of vaudeville artists reaching for something they can’t get, the brilliantly-coloured chairs are piled up in pursuit of an unattainable balloon.

“Circus Under My Bed”, Flying Fruit Fly Circus, at Canberra Theatre Centre, July 16-18, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.