Are you brave enough to be your knife thrower partner’s assistant? What about daring to swallow a sword as a party trick? Rachel Atlas, an international circus performer and writer, has showcased her talents in over 18 countries across 4 continents. She was part of Ozzfest and, in 2022, debuted her autobiographical solo theatre show, 'Gag Reflex,' at NZ Fringe, winning the 'Best in Fringe' and 'Tour Ready-Adelaide' awards. Rachel joins the ALTBAYS Table Talk podcast to discuss her unique lifestyle with Elvisa Van Der Leden and Leo Magri. Watch the live episode now and send us your questions!

Show 261 - Rachel Atlas (Sword Swallower/Writer)

Welcome to the ALTBAYS Table Talk (featuring Elvisa Van Der Leden and Leo Magri)

Rachel Atlas is an international circus performer, event emcee and writer.

Born in London and currently living in Aotearoa, she’s performed in over 18 different countries on 4 different continents.  She began her career touring the USA with the travelling vaudeville show The Pretty Things Peepshow, a highlight of which was touring with Motley Crue, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne on Ozzfest 2010.  Subsequent to this she founded her own touring show The Death Do Us Part Danger Show and they performed all over the world, bringing the vaudevillian art of knife throwing kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

More recently she produced the large-scale gothic cabaret show Cirque Du Mort in Glasgow, Scotland.  She has been a sword swallower for over a decade and is currently the only active sword-swallower in Aotearoa.   In 2022 she wrote and debuted her autobiographical solo theatre show, Gag Reflex, at NZ Fringe and  won the “Best In Fringe” and “Tour Ready-Adelaide” awards.

Subsequently she was awarded a residency at BATS Theatre where she devised and wrote her second play Tales From The Strypt which debuted at NZ Fringe 2023 and featured the combined words and stories of six Aotearoa sex workers. Gag Reflex has also been performed at Tahi Festival in Wellington and the Right Royal Cabaret Festival in Taranaki.

Rachel lives in Wellington and is currently working on a new circus show called the Dangerous Darlings with the reknowned nz circus performer Laura Oakley, as well as writing her next play and her first novel.

ALTBAYS Table Talk invites awesome people from Aotearoa to have an honest, laid-back conversation. Our platform focuses on bringing communities together to grow and thrive.