Flown to Calgary for a Big Party

We had a fabulous time in Calgary performing at the spacious convention center.  These photos turned out absolutely spectacular.  Thank you to Fuze Entertainment for hiring us for this one.  It was really fun!

Jake West in "Break the Cycle"

This was an amazing show and process to be a part of.  It all came together so well - the stars definitely aligned for this run.  This is perhaps the most artistic video I have ever made.

To Hell and Back video highlights.

Hooray!

Michaelangelo Wu of Hybrid Movement was so kind as to edit a video of highlights from "to Hell and Back: the phantasmagoric adventures of Ms. Helen Beck".

Here it is, in all it's creepiness...


To Hell and Back - In The House Festival Halloween 2010 from Hybrid Movement on Vimeo.

Chris

Photos and Response from the Haunted House!

This year's Haunted House was a smash hit...

"Best Halloween ever!"

"Completely blown away!"

"Top notch Halloween entertainment!"

Chris, in collaboration with Luciterra, photodreamz.net

In the Spirit of last year's event, this was not your average scare-fest. A full hour of tales from different cultures, multimedia entertainment and over 27 performers, this was a sumptuous celebration of Halloween tradition - exploring the darker side of beauty through exceptional performances and the lens of international culture.

Jonel, The Devil in a Red Dress

Alex Danard as Helen Beck

I really love the idea and tradition of Halloween - an evening for us to acknowledge the reality and mystery of death and the unknown. Over the course of history, this has been reinterpreted in many different forms, but now it is mostly a night of sugar, cheap costumes and debauchery. Myriam Steinberg (artistic director of the In the House Festival) and I have committed to providing an evening of entertainment in the spirit of Halloween, with a few contemporary twists.

Over the last two weeks, glowing responses from various bloggers, performers and audience members have poured in. Click below for more pictures and a few reviews.

Chris

A Cosmic Performing Experience

Please click the read more to see a few fabulous photos of our amazing 3 day run of "Break the Cycle".  It was cosmic.  The Dean of Fine Arts at UVic said it was the best student produced show he has seen in his 3 decades of experience.  Keep your eye on these emerging west coast circus artists: Cameron Fraser, Lucky DeSouza, and Alia Kube.  We are the future of west coast circus artistry.

"Break the Cycle" Opens Tomorrow!

                      Come see "Break the Cycle" - Nov. 17, 18, 19.  4:45 @ the Phoenix Theater, Victoria
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with this cast.  Cameron Fraser, the creator and director is a gifted circus artist and leader who will no doubt be one to watch for years to come.  Expect some slick video out of this 3 day run.

Performing for Custom House

A great local success story.  This company, Custom House, started on a street corner in Victoria and has grown to international success.  It was a really fun evening in the very shmancy Old English Inn.  

The event coordinator, Jacquelyn Parker, was a joy to work with.  She says:

“Jake was quick to help us out on short notice for a corporate function.  Aside from being very flexible (literally!) and accommodating to our requests, he was very talented at a number of juggling styles and was able to get our guests involved.  Thanks for a terrific performance and a great evening!”

The haunted house is back!

On October 30th and 31st, Chris and the In the House Festival bring you our second annual haunted house! This show sold out in one week last year, and we are terribly excited to be bringing it back.

Ever wondered what Hell was actually like? Are you prepared to find out? The charming  (if a little dangerously eccentric) Hellen Beck was and she lives to tell the tale. Now she’s prepared to share her adventures into Hell with you. Come explore worlds previously unheard of and unexperienced in any haunted house you may have visited. Your senses will tingle with fear, laughter, repulsion, sadness and curiosity, as the macabre, the terrifying and the outrageous join up with moments of heart-wrenching beauty, soul-stirring sadness and unavoidable mirth. Hell can be many things.... What is it to you?   

Time: The first tour leaves at 6:30 pm. There are tours leaving every 30 minutes until 10 pm. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour to make sure you don’t miss your turn. Plus you don’t want to miss out on the delicious bits and bites as you’re waiting for your tour! Bwaahahaha. Where: The address of the haunted house will remain a mystery until you have registered for your tour. The devil is very secretive you know. Tickets: $30 members + students / $35 adults

**You MUST pre-pay your ticket(s) before choosing your tour time. Once you have paid, you will be sent the link to the schedule and you’ll be able to choose your time.

If you don’t like using Paypal, please email info@inthehousefestival.com or call 604-874-9325 to arrange an alternative.

For information on the performers, go to in the In the House Festival Website,
Special Events & Tours

To purchase tickets, go to  Purchase tickets

Phoenix Theater Performance

Performing for London's Gatwick Airport

For the last 3 days, I was hired by the Underground Circus to perform this illusion for the Gatwick airport in the World Routes Trade Show.  It was great fun working with all the Brits.  I found some really good comedy to accompany the act.  I was able to pull a lot of traffic into their booth - clients super happy!

My beautiful training space

I am super fortunate to have this studio available to me every morning for 3 hours.  It is an early start, 6:00am, but I just love going there and working.  Expect some wicked video very soon!

Our 2010/11 Promo Video

This video was shot at our co-production (spearheaded by Buckman Coe) of Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse. It is a well-known philosophical and spiritual story about a man searching for spiritual enlightenment during the time of the Buddha.

Music: "Quintette" by Rene Aubry
Editing by Chris Murdoch

Ben Cameron: The true power of the performing arts | Video on TED.com

Ben Cameron: The true power of the performing arts | Video on TED.com

For you performing artists, festival organizers, event planners and everyone who loves the arts, you must listen to this impassioned moving speech.

Hire Us for an Enchanted Evening of Delicious Japanese Food and Circus!

You will not find more authentic, healthy, delicious Japanese home cooking  on the west coast of Canada.  Check out Yoko West's blog:
http://yokosplate.blogspot.com/

We do small parties.  Hire all 3 of us, Chris, Yoko and I, to put on a ravishing evening of unforgettable cuisine and cutting edge circus performance.  Wow!  What a combo!

Chris' First Video!

Well, it's about time. I've finally made and edited a juggling video.



The world of juggling owes a lot to the internet. Because of the ability to instantly share a video with the world, concepts are developed all over the world and then immediately expanded upon by whoever thought it was a good idea. And so, the method of sharing our work as jugglers has come in the form of videos such as this one.

My friend Tyler from our hometown of Calgary paid me a visit and we spontaneously decided that it was high time we made our own tribute to the internet gods. This video happened in three days of filming, and eight hours of editing that began at eleven o'clock at night.

Please enjoy the fruits of our obsession and sleep deprivation.

Chris

Performing on a Private Island

We are absolutely blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth:  the West coast of BC.  Yesterday, as part of the Underground Circus, we led guests around a gorgeous private island for a wedding. It was lots of fun!  I was a bear and Chris was a stag.  Raaarrr!

Performing Siddartha in the Sun Yat Sen Gardens

On Friday, we joined forces with singer songwriter, Buckman Coe (Bucky), to tell the story of Siddartha by Herman Hesse.  It was held in the magical Sun Yat Sen gardens to a very appreciative audience.  Many talented musicians, dancers and actors were also involved in the show.  Bucky's music is genuine and soulful, it was a pleasure!

Lynx & Janover!

Back in June, I did a little show with Lynx and Janover on Vancouver Island. What a great musical combination: Voice, beatbox, hammer dulcimer and awesome beats.




Chris

Performing Back in Vancouver and Loving it!

This show was for the Event Planner's international conference in Vancouver, BC.  It was an amazing summer day, hosted at the brand new convention centre built for the Olympics.  It is right on the ocean with the North shore mountains in the background.  If this doesn't sell Vancouver, nothing can.

Shpongle!

On May 9, I had a performance with Simon Posford, lead composer of the elctronic super-group Shpongle. The lighting and setup was beautiful and Diane Smithers took some excellent photos:

Welcome!

We are incredibly excited to present our first post to you...

It is long overdue that we made our online presence known.

We are now embracing the world of the internet.  We have long been asked where our arts come from, what the music was in the show, who influences our ideas and now the internet has offered unprecedented tools to share and connect.

With humility and gratitude, we are giving back to those people who have shown interest in our work and have supported us throughout the years.