1: In her thesis Mullett uses the term ‘alternative circus’ to distinguish it from the traditional form of circus because it, 'acknowledges the historical origin of the form, but does not create an opposition to “old”. Thus, the use of alternative circus removes the hierarchy of value implied with a division into “traditional” and “new”, and allows acknowledgement that the traditional circus is continuing and continuous (39-40).'

Although Mullett’s ‘alternative circus’ did not gain traction within the scholarly discourse (new circus, or contemporary circus have remained more common terms), her point remains valid that terms can suggest an hierarchy and seem inappropriate when this ‘contemporary’ form is reaching fifty years old.​ For more on the terms, and distinctions made about these terms within the academic literature and within the field, see Jensen-Kohl 2024, 8-11.

2:The Australian Performing Group (APG) was officially formed in 1970 as an experimental ensemble emerging from the La Mama Theatre on Faraday Street, Carlton in inner-city Melbourne, a not-for-profit organisation established, on the model of the New York La Mama, by Betty Burstall in 1967 (Wolf 2008, 10).

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3: In this context the "we" Robertson is referring to is Tribe. It was a group from Queensland which focused on street and physical theatre inspired by the Living Theatre in America. Tribe was brought to Melbourne in 1968 to participate in the National University Drama Festival organised by Jono Hawkes and Richard Murphet. Not long after, the group began woking with the Captain Matchbox Whoopy Band. Matchbox (as it is more commonly referred to) has had various iterations including being a significant part of Soapbox Circus and Circus Oz. The band went on to have a successful recording career in Australia through to the mid 1980s. For more, see Jensen-Kohl 2024, 57-6; and Fleming & Tait 2025.

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4: 'The Pram Factory’ is a factory building around the corner of La Mama Theatre on Drummond Street, Carlton. In 1970, the APG moved out of the La Mama Theatre to set up headquarters at this new location. It had been a factory manufacturing prams and was to become affectionately referred to as ‘the Pram’ (Jensen-Kohl 2024, 47).

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5: New Circus was a circus company formed In the early 1970s in Adelaide, South Australia. The members of the group were friends from Flinders University and were either students of, or were aware of, the new performance course that had been introduced by Wal Cherry. To gain circus skills and knowledge, Tim Coldwell and Mike Harbison travelled with the tented traveling circus company, Ashton’s Circus. The other members of their cohort, Dave Black and John 'Jack' Daniel, soon joined them (Mullett 2005, 128). Later the group expanded and brought on new performers (including Sue Broadway) and renamed the company New Ensemble Circus.

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