Fresh from a triumphant Edinburgh Fringe season, award-winning Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths will bring its acclaimed production Ten Thousand Hours to Melbourne for the very first time. The two-week summer season lands at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse from 13 – 25 January 2026.
“It’s been some time since Gravity & Other Myths has been in Melbourne. We’ve got a lot of artists that call Melbourne home, and we can’t wait to bring Ten Thousand Hours to a city that has such a vibrant arts culture, and in particular Circus scene,” said Lachlan Binns, director of Ten Thousand Hours.
The production is built around the concept of the “10,000-hour rule,” popularised by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers: The Story of Success. Eight acrobats take the stage alongside a giant digital countdown clock, pushing the limits of skill through human pyramids, flips, shoulder-walks and leaps.
“This show is an ode to the countless hours needed to achieve great things. Through highlighting the nuance of high-level acrobatics, audiences experience a heightened appreciation of the countless hours required to master the skills they are witnessing,” said Binns.
Performers appear in gym wear, stripped of spectacle, with the focus squarely on their bodies and the effort behind the craft. Stunts are attempted, sometimes missed, then tried again until triumph – playful persistence that draws audiences in.
Adding to the energy is live musician Nick Martyn, performing an original score composed with Shenzo Gregorio.
“Our shows generally have some live musical element to it… It’s a mix of live percussion on a drum kit plus electronic samples and backing tracks. It’s all played and triggered by one guy, Nick!” said Binns.
Physically daring yet joyful and welcoming, Ten Thousand Hours is a love letter to practice, resilience and the brilliance of the human body
