Circus Monti
Tale(s) of an innovative circus
Swiss Performing Arts Award 2023
Circus Monti was formed in Wohlen (canton of Aargau) in 1985 and has made a name for itself by blending traditional circus, theatre and variety with consistent quality. Guido (1932–1999) and Hildegard Muntwyler (1936–2019) fulfilled their dream, both giving up their jobs as teachers to start a family-run circus. Since 2005, the company has been headed by one of their three sons, Johannes. It employs some 65 people during the season between August and November, when it tours ten towns and cities in German-speaking Switzerland. Many of the young creatives who come and go have graduated a circus school, e.g. in Montreal or Quebec, or studied at the Accademia Dimitri, including Les Diptik in 2013, who went on to win the Federal Office of Culture’s Schweizer Kleinkunstpreis in 2020. Dimitri & Masha Dimitri have directed several shows at the circus since 1998. Circus Monti was the first − and to date the only − circus to win the Walo Prize twice (in 1998 and 2000) and was awarded the Innovation Prize by the theatrical union KTV ATP (now the Swiss theatre professionals’ association t.) in 2013.
Over the years, Circus Monti has developed its own style by mixing artistry, innovation and tradition. Every performance tells a story or at least forms part of a wider narrative. Horses and domesticated animals – never exotic animals – were a firm fixture of Monti shows until 2004. The company has since moved with the times and has not taken animals on tour since the 2011 season. Every year, an external creative team puts together the programme, and some members keep coming back year after year. The costumes are also designed in close collaboration with the creative team, and the music is specially commissioned for the show. Now in its 38th year, Circus Monti’s 2023 programme was developed by Comedia Zap, Cécile Steck and Didi Sommer. Monti’s Variété at the Winterquartier in Wohlen rounds out the season every autumn, and the spring event Monti’s Kulturtage was held for the second time in May 2023, featuring Peach Weber, Mike Müller, Franz Hohler and Ursus & Nadeschkin, among others.
As the years pass, the difficulty experienced by different generations in meeting and conversing grows ever more apparent. This expresses itself in the performing arts through the conflicting dynamics between tradition and innovation. Circus Monti has achieved the magic of transforming potential conflict into a creative driver. It has successfully maintained the connection with circus tradition without losing sight of the need for a profound relationship with the present and future. It has combined the power of craftsmanship with the vitality and innovation of young artists who can come to Circus Monti every year and find a platform to launch their professional career.
Demis Quadri, jury member
