“There are such different mental states required to excel both of those tasks,” Meirelles says of the switch between design and circus. But for the Brazilian-born, Aotearoa-based performer, shifting between modes comes naturally. “Code switching has been an important survival tactic for me as a neurodivergent queer person of colour, so playing different characters while doing circus, which is my absolute passion, is quite healing.”

HAUS OF YOLO | Featuring Eve Gordon, Jaine Mieka, Geoff Gilson, Jay Clement (Photo: Ben Sarten)

Trained in samba and capoeira before taking to the skies with aerial circus, Meirelles previously appeared in 2023’s Te Tangi a te Tūī, also at The Cultch. HAUS OF YOLO, however? An entirely different ballpark. Created by The Dust Palace’s Eve Gordon, the show was born from the company’s all-too-familiar habit of whipping up costumes at the eleventh hour. Oddly enough, it’s the sewing—not the stunts—that might cause the most trouble.

HAUS OF YOLO is definitely not a sit-back-and-clap kind of show. Audience interaction is part of the thrill—and the risk. “The audience interaction is always the best,” says Meirelles. “It keeps you on your toes as a performer as it can go in a million directions.” That unpredictability is part of what makes the show feel alive, sewn together by spontaneity and a willingness to play. And if you’re wondering what you’ll leave with? Meirelles doesn’t miss a beat: “Joy in [your] heart, a smile on [your] face… and a tingle in [your] nether region.”

The Cultch presents HAUS OF YOLO June 5 to 15 at the York Theatre (639 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C.)

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