Following a critically acclaimed sell out season of GODZ in July 2025, Head First Acrobats returns to the Peacock Theatre on Wednesday 10 – Saturday 20 June with RETURN OF THE GODZ now featuring an extra performer with a troupe of five acrobats.

Celebrating the hedonism and theatricality of ancient Greece, the adults-only production follows gods such as Cupid (God of Love) and Hercules (God of Strength) and Dionysus (God of Wine) as they paint the scene of Ancient Greece through a mix of storytelling, circus, and acrobatics, featuring gravity-defying stunts and slapstick comedy.

Head First Acrobats are a multi-award-winning entertainment company. Based in Melbourne, they are regulars on the international touring circuit, and specialise in acrobatic entertainment for festivals, theatres, corporate and street events. Ahead of the London dates THE RETURN OF GODZ will be presented at Brighton Fringe between Tuesday 19 – Saturday 30 May, at Spiegel Tent, Spiegel Gardens.

Thomas Gorham went from spinning on his head on the dance floor to balancing upside down on the swinging trapeze . His unique background in breakdancing gives his routines an unusual style and flavour, combining flashy circus , with slick spins. He is also the co creator and director of Head First Acrobats. Having toured all over the world and performed in over 25 countries, he brings a wealth of performance experience. Thomas also enjoys much of the technical side of performance, and designs the lighting in the scenes of GODZ as well as performs. 

Last summer, GODZ was a massive smash hit, completely selling out its season at the Peacock Theatre in Holborn. How does it feel to be bringing your brand-new sequel, “Return of The GODZ”, back to London all the way from Melbourne, Australia?

Playing GODZ last summer in the Peacock was the highlight of my performance career. I’ve performed in over 30 different countries, but this was the first time doing our own production on the West End.

To bring it back bigger, better and bolder feels incredible. It’s like we have hit a new level, a lifelong milestone that is being repeated and with a longer season.

You’ve mentioned being ecstatic about returning because the London crowds completely blew you away last year. How does the energy of a London audience compare to other major stops on your international touring circuit?

UK crowds in general just really get the Australian sense of Humour.  There is a real theatre-going culture, especially in London. When we play a show like GODZ, it doesn’t take long to get the house roaring like a riot, but in the UK, it starts before we even take the stage. Everything hit’s differently over here.

For “Return of The GODZ”, you have expanded your troupe to a five-person cast. What new dynamics, gravity-defying stunts, and “bigger tricks” does this extra acrobat allow you to introduce to the stage?

We’ve brought in Matthew Piva from Cirque Du Soleil, where he was one of the high flying wall trampoline artists. We have built a more ancient version of a trampoline—a giant seesaw that the artists push each other on. They jump on either side, performing incredible somersaults and twists both back to the board and onto a landing mat.

This big apparatus launches the acrobats 5-6m into the air, making it perfect for the Peacock’s large stage.

You promised returning fans “new acts, and just as little clothing”. How do you balance the show’s heavy dose of cheeky Australian humour and high-level physical artistry with its distinctly adult-only, hedonistic aesthetic?

It’s the art of the tease! You can’t go straight in, you need to guide the audience subtly through the story, with ample opportunity for humour and play. Once the vibe is set and the audience has been brought along for the journey, you can dip into the hedonism more freely. The arc of the show is paramount to its enjoyment.

The show brings iconic figures like Cupid, Hercules, and Dionysus to life through a blend of storytelling, circus, and slapstick comedy. Why do you think the mythology of ancient Greece lends itself so perfectly to a high-camp, high-energy acrobatic spectacle?

I Love this question. And I think it is because of the impact of the myths of Ancient Greece. Ancient Greek mythology permeates so much of everyday pop culture, making it ripe for a bit of fun and riffing. The characters are well known, and it’s not a stretch (no pun intended) to imagine the ancient greek godz as lithe circus performers.

It was too perfect for us NOT to do it. We had to!

Your shows are renowned for jaw-dropping, gravity-defying stunts. From a director and performer’s standpoint, what kind of intense physical preparation, trust, and daily training does it take to pull off these amazing, high-risk feats safely night after night?

A circus performer has almost two lives: the training life and the touring life. Whilst we are in show creation or physical research, we dedicate a significant amount of time to training and preparation. The rehearsal room is part choreography and very much part gymnastic studio, as well as time spent trying to build extra capacity through strength and conditioning.

Once the show is on the road and we are touring, we shift from building capacity to retaining energy for the performance. As you know the show itself is very physical, so we must be ready and on point every night. It becomes irresponsible to train too hard, as the show may suffer. It’s a constant cycle of trying to buld capacity in the off season, and trying to maintain a high level in the on season.

While you are regulars on the massive global festival circuits, “Return of The GODZ” is playing a dedicated theatrical run at the Peacock. How does the architecture and intimacy of a venue like the Peacock Theatre change how you choreograph and deliver your stunts compared to an outdoor festival tent?

There is nothing quite like a gorgeous theatre. It is a luxury we rarely get to enjoy. There are a lot of advantages to playing in a large theatre, and as you say the intimacy is fantastic. There is perfect blackout, and no noise bleed from playing right next to another venue, then there are all the features you wouldnt think of, like plush curtains and state of the art sound and lighting.

There are many advantages to playing in a round tent as well, it teaches you to engage with the audience in a way that can’t be taught when playing in theatres, and it makes you a much more engaging performer who is aware of the balance of enjoyment throughout various seating positions. Taking what you learn makes entertaining a front on audience seem like easy work.

“Return of The GODZ” is explicitly recommended for ages 18+ and celebrates pure hedonism. For a gay magazine readership that thrives on spaces celebrating body positivity, freedom, and adult fun, how does this show capture that exact same spirit of liberation?

Queer audiences have always been ahead of the curve when shining a light on conservative culture and questioning the utility of tradition in society. We also have no reverence for such nonsense, and the spirit of liberation is alive and well in GODZ. We go there.

Your company has a stellar track record of award-winning adult circus shows, from the sci-fi themed “Elixir” to the comedy Western “Railed”. What is it about subverting classic genres or mythologies into high-energy, rowdy spectacles that has become the signature soul of Head First Acrobats?

We always enjoyed creating narrative circus shows. A circus show with a fleshed storyline is not a popular format, it never has been and I doubt it ever will be due to the difficulty in establishing the “why?”. Why does one do a backflip? How does this drive a narrative?

This is something we love to explore, and it has contributed massively to our success. But to answer the question specifically, the classic genres and myths have all permeated popular culture. Most people are aware of the story format, and most importantly they contain a strong male archetype characters. These archetypes are ripe for riffing. It’s almost too easy when you get started, and I think that playfulness and fun translates so purely on stage

If you had to describe the vibe of “Return of The GODZ” in just three words to a London theatregoer who has never experienced a Head First Acrobats production before, what would they be?

Believe The Hype

Head First Acrobats  
Return of The GODZ
Peacock Theatre, WC2  
Wednesday 10 – Saturday 20 June 
http://www.sadlerswells.com