Ten Thousand Hours

Ages 6 and up

It is said that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to truly master something. This rule was established by the American psychologist Anders Ericsson. 10,000 hours to perfection, to world-class standard. But what happens during all those hours? It is the routines that nobody sees, countless repetitions, failure, new attempts, failure again, failing better. A persistent and patient circling around what has not yet been achieved.

The Australian company Gravity & Other Myths is renowned for breathtaking, world-class acrobatics. In 2024, they opened the Ruhrfestspiele spectacularly with ‘The Pulse’; last year, ‘Playbook’ transformed various public spaces in Recklinghausen into circus playgrounds. But “Ten Thousand Hours” turns the gaze around: away from the dazzling end result, towards the long journey of becoming. Eight acrobats demonstrate the endurance and courage required for this. They show how trust grows, how balance is lost and regained, how a body begins to breathe in time with the others. The aesthetic is minimalist, the stage almost empty; pulsating live drums and the sound of breathing are enough to intensify the concentration in the space – a circus without frills, drawing its poetry from the visible effort. With humour and acrobatic creativity, the ensemble explores the limits of what is physically possible, whilst at the same time celebrating imperfection and the beauty of failure.  

Thus, “Ten Thousand Hours” becomes an homage to what sustains us: our bodies, with their patience and vulnerability; but also our will and perseverance. Together, they form the astonishing ability to surpass ourselves time and again. Not as individual triumphs, but as a community: no leap succeeds without someone standing ready to catch the fall. The risk of every human tower is borne by many hands working together. Those watching experience not only an acrobatic feat, but also the value of the effort that precedes it. Perhaps, in the end, one even feels that childlike curiosity again with which it all begins; when, for a moment, it becomes visible how ten thousand hours of practice give rise to a moment of weightlessness. 

Cast

Ensemble: Jacob Randell, Alyssa Moore, Kevin Beverley, Lachlan Harper, Annalise Moore, Andre Augustus, Axl Osborne, Shani Stephens
Director: Lachlan Binns 
Co-Director: Darcy Grant 
Set and Lighting Design: Chris Petredis 
Set and Lighting Assistant: Max Mackenzie 
Compositions: Nick Martin, Shenzo Gregorio 
Costumes: Olivia Zanchetta 
Production Manager: Martin Schreiber 
Creative Producer: Jascha Boyce 

Information

Age rating: 6+ (We recommend attending in a group from the age of 10 due to interactive elements)  
Language: minimal English; understandable without knowledge of the language  
 

The performance on 26 May is part of the RuhrBühnen*Spezial programme.
Tickets for all seats are available from the Ruhrfestspiele at a price of €15

Venue: Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen – Großes Festspielzelt | Otto-Burrmeister-Allee 1 | 45657 Recklinghausen

Further information here https://www.ruhrfestspiele.de/programm/2026/ten-thousand-hours