The concept of balance in life is central to this play.

The show opens with Harry as a successful circus ringmaster, a man with impeccable physical balance, but also with a balanced view of life.

The story retraces to Harry when he lacked balance in his life. As a school dropout we see Harry trying to earn living as a street busker, but his attempts to demonstrate complex balancing acts end in disaster. He cannot earn an income and comes to regard himself as a "flop, a failure".

But in his journey from failure to success, we see Harry gradually learn how to balance more successfully. As his balance improves so does his sense of achievement and ultimately, his life.

Harry must learn that he can only balance his finances if his expenditure equals his income plus his savings. He can't over spend on his credit card if there is insufficient money coming in to cover his repayments. As Harry journeys towards his dream of becoming a successful entertaining educator, he has to cross the river of debt (made up of credit card receipts). At first he topples off the bridge because he is unbalanced, but then discovers that he needs to be balanced by holding his expenses in one hand and his income and savings in the other.

As throughout the play, the key concepts are communicated through visualisation and action.

But as Harry learns that balance is essential to managing his finances he is also learning balance in his emotional life. He learns to set goals and approach them step by step, and to focus on the positive each step of the way.

The playwright is a practising psychologist and has incorporated into the story a solution focused approach to life and to recovery from emotional trauma. He believes that balance in relationships, daily routines, nutrition, work, exercise, recreation and play is a central theme of a successful life.

Even the structure of the play itself is balanced, built around a circular storyline, beginning with a successful educational circus, going back to where it all began and ending with a triumphant flourish.

 

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