The magic is born in an unremarkable warehouse on the edge of Wohlen (AG). In fact it’s more than a hall: several interlocking buildings spread over 13,000 m², in which it’s easy to get lost. The way to the director leads past mechanics tinkering with engines and craftspeople furnishing circus wagons or spraying bodywork red. The mood is busy, focused and yet relaxed. In one hall, long lengths of tent canvas hang drying metres up in the air. For Monti isn’t only a circus; it’s also one of the biggest tent rental firms in Europe, with over 45 tents used, for example, at the Arosa Humour Festival or the Paléo Festival in Nyon. In the small cafeteria next to the workshops sits Johannes Muntwyler, the spitting image of his father. It’s from him, the circus director, that we want to learn how a circus is made.
«Ideally we begin planning a new programme one to two years in advance», he explains. «We then decide whom we want to engage as director.» Directors for a circus? Muntwyler laughs. «Yes, that’s how it has been with us for years. We don’t want to reel off one act after another. With us the show should tell a whole story or create a very particular mood. For that we need an overall artistic concept, developed by one or two directors.»
The idea of seeing a show as a complete work goes back almost to the beginning. Muntwyler recalls: «In 1998 we took a big step in this direction. We absolutely wanted to work with Dimitri as director. He insisted on developing an overall concept. That also means a composer writes the music for the whole evening, or that the lighting, the costumes and the set form a unity. For us it was a groundbreaking new concept, which we embraced. And one that remains very successful to this day.»
Once the artistic concept is set, costume designers and composers get down to the detailed work, while casting manager Armelle Fouqueray, Johannes Muntwyler’s partner, sets off in search of suitable performers. «Of course we have a large network and know a lot of people. An important place to scout talent are the circus schools, and Montreal leads the world there.» Armelle Fouqueray also watches hundreds of videos sent in by artists from all over the world. «Today young performers market themselves», the director explains. «They’re very well connected among themselves and recommend Monti as a good address.»
After the performers have been chosen comes the paperwork. «We wouldn’t stand a chance of hiring a mechanic from a third country like Canada», Muntwyler explains. «But artists have a special status; they’re allowed to come.» Which still isn’t always easy. «We need entry visas, residence and work permits and much more besides», says the director. The administrative burden keeps growing. And it’s a hassle for the artists too. «They have to collect their visas in person at a Swiss embassy, often hundreds of kilometres from where they live.»
Once these hurdles are cleared, the artists from all over the world arrive at the Wohlen headquarters two months before the premiere. «They no longer come with their own wagon as they used to», says Muntwyler. «They have their luggage and their props and nothing more.» The new arrivals therefore move straight into the caravans that Circus Monti provides. «The caravan is just for privacy», Johannes Muntwyler explains. «Otherwise we have a shower-and-toilet wagon, and everyone who wishes eats together in the dining wagon.»
People from all over the world in the tightest of spaces – doesn’t that cause problems? The director shakes his head. «No, not really. We regularly have people from the most diverse countries and cultures together on tour, and it works splendidly. They’re all professionals and know how a circus works.» On top of that, in the two months before the premiere the artistic management makes sure to forge this motley troupe into a unit. «During rehearsals they do team-building games together every morning. Then there’s rehearsing all day.» At the same time the costumes are altered, sometimes even the act itself. «It all has to be of one piece, the transitions have to be right.»
On the day of the premiere in early August, the directors’ main work is done; now the programme has to deliver. «As a rule we don’t change much any more», says Muntwyler. The nerves settle with time too: the longer the tour goes on, the more relaxed the artists become. After four months on tour through ten Swiss cities, the magic comes to an end. Until the next year.
Little Monti’s Big Dream
Circus Monti doesn’t come from an old circus dynasty; it was a little boy’s dream. As a child, the Aargau native Guido «Monti» Muntwyler was already fascinated by the circus and especially by the clowns. So much so that more than 45 years ago he gave up teaching, spent a few years gaining his first experience at Circus Olympia and, in 1985, founded his own circus together with his wife Hildegard and their four children.
The beginnings were adventurous. Within six months the family bought a big top, searched for vehicles and suitable animals and engaged performers. «It really wasn’t easy», recalls today’s director Johannes Muntwyler, who back then performed as a young juggler in the ring. The early years were gruelling, the circus always short of money. The established circus companies looked down on them and gave Monti no more than two months to survive. But the dream went on: little by little the circus established itself with its innovative, poetic programmes and its great closeness to its audience.
Five years after his father’s death, Johannes Muntwyler took over the directorship from his mother Hildegard 20 years ago. With his sons Mario (administration, artistic), Tobias (tent rental, logistics) and Nicola (workshop), the third generation is already actively involved.
Besides the circus, which goes on tour for four months, and the tent rental, there’s also Monti’s Variété, a dinner show with an ensemble of artists, a live band and a four-course dinner, as well as Monti’s Culture Days, which put Swiss cultural creators centre stage.
The circus never carried exotic animals. Instead, the ring featured domestic animals such as horses, ponies, goats, donkeys, sheep, geese, ducks, hens and guinea pigs. Since the 2011 season, no animals at all appear at Circus Monti.
In its 39th year, Circus Monti was more successful than ever. Yet Johannes Muntwyler doesn’t take it for granted: «Despite digitalisation and the fact that many young people spend a great deal of time on their phones, our circus appeals to a young and adolescent audience too. It delights me enormously to see how great the interest still is. The more digital the world becomes, the more people seem to seek genuine, living experiences. That’s exactly what our circus offers.»
This article appeared in MEN issue 1/24 (May 2024).
