Son Mario and father Johannes Muntwyler perform together in the circus ring in Circus Monti's new program. We took a look behind the scenes, listened to the circus band and asked: What is it like to be born into the family of artists?
The two of them welcome us into a small but cozy caravan with a table and bench for the interview. Johannes and Mario make a satisfied and relaxed impression. "We're not a normal circus," says Johannes. He stirs a spoonful of sugar into his coffee and continues: "My parents were originally teachers, but then built up Circus Monti from nothing."
Johannes Muntwyler has been in the circus ring since 1977. He started out in Circus Olympia and eight years later in his own circus. Of course, a lot has changed since the beginning. But the basic tenor has remained the same: "My parents were very keen to involve as many employees as possible in the program. Later, we hired personalities to design the program. Under Dimitri's direction, for example, we were the first circus to win the Prix Walo in 1998," says Johannes proudly. With Dimitri as director and his conditions, a lot has changed in the preparation for the program. But one thing remains the same to this day: One composer writes the music for the entire program, the same applies to the costumes and the poster. Rehearsals also begin two months before the premiere.
Music sounds from the circus tent. The band is rehearsing. For Johannes and Mario, this is normal and they don't let it distract them. When asked how they select the artists, Johannes explains: "There are many who are technically excellent but have no expression. Circus Monti is all about offering the audience a special experience with a lot of passion. This starts with the poster. We want artists who trigger emotions in the audience. Once the artists are there, there is usually a family feeling." He sips his coffee and smiles contentedly.
In the boss's office: Johannes Muntwyler carries out administrative tasks together with his son Mario.
Does Mario want to take over the family business later? He glances towards his father and says with a grin: "I don't know yet what will happen next. I was away from Circus Monti for a year after I finished my commercial apprenticeship. But I got homesick very quickly. I realized that I missed it. I was then allowed to come back, but on the condition that I get more involved here and take on more responsibility. That's why I'm going to stay here for a while."
"From 'normal' life, I only miss the summer vacations on the beach," says Mario and laughs. "I'm happy that I was able to grow up in the circus. I can't and don't want to lead any other life." The 21-year-old adds that although he was once in the football club, it no longer had any place in his everyday life. "My commercial apprenticeship was very strict. After school, I had to drive back to the place where we were staying. That meant I had a whole day of school, with performances until late in the evening. Sometimes I had to get up early again the next morning to get to school on time." After a short pause, he adds: "It was difficult for me at the beginning. I wasn't used to not knowing anyone. Here in the circus, we are a family, we live like an extended family. We know each other. Despite everything, I really enjoyed the change from circus and training. My father wanted us to have a degree for all the children. That way, we don't have to work in the circus if we don't want to one day."
"Competition stimulates innovation. The audience benefits from it."
Johannes doesn't see any other circus in Switzerland as competition. Rather, he sees them as competitors. He looks thoughtfully out of the window for a moment and adds: "If someone sees a good show with us, they might be motivated to visit another circus later." Bad competitors are bad for the industry. For example, if someone goes to the circus and thinks during their visit, "I don't want to do that to myself again". And, competition stimulates innovation. "The better the competitors are, the more the others are challenged to keep up and stand out from the crowd. Viewers benefit from this," he is convinced. "What's more, in recent years we have managed to create programs that are not interchangeable or confusable. As a result, we have also made a name for ourselves."
"In the 40 years that I've been performing in the circus ring, I've had many wonderful experiences. One special moment was certainly the first time I performed with my boys," says Johannes. You can hear the music coming from the tent again. This time the band repeats the same part over and over again. In the meantime, our conversation is coming to an end. We want to know whether Mario is nervous before his performance. Mario admits that a bit of excitement is part of it. "But I can't be too nervous either, otherwise I'll drop everything because of the sweaty palms," says Mario and laughs.
What is hidden in the "Dreambox"?
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In this year's "Dreambox" program, Circus Monti has once again incorporated a central theme into the program. It's about a small and mysterious box that the audience knows nothing about except that it's about wishes and dreams, friendships and trust, being and striving. Together with the protagonist of the program, clown character Arthur, new sides and aspects of the "Dreambox" are constantly being uncovered.
Promising young artists from all over the world will be performing at Circus Monti again this year. And there is guaranteed to be something for everyone in the program: Canadian Marilou Verschelden shows off her skills on the rhönrad (pictured). There are also acts such as a hand-on-hand performance, an aerial ring act, a ladder acrobatics performance, the Russian parallel bars, a clown duo, an act on the vertical rope and, of course, the juggling acts by Mario and Johannes Muntwyler. This year's program was conceived by Canadians Marie-Josée Gauthier and Sylvain Lafortune, both of whom work at the National Circus School in Montreal.
