Blanc de Blanc Encore HHHHH HHHH VENUE:
TIME: TICKETS:
The Garden of Unearthly Delights times vary, 14 Feb – 15 Mar $49 – $55
Parisian flair and speakeasy debauchery meet in this well-oiled production that mixes champagne, aerials and lingerie. It’s as cheeky as it is jaw-dropping and high-production values show off the company’s slickness and attention to detail. The Fortuna Spiegeltent has a 1920s charm and together with the art deco inspired set – flapper dresses, empire headpieces, and dapper suits – it encases you in an atmosphere of decadence. Hosts Remi Martin Lenz and Felix Pouliot play off one another effortlessly as their jokes – and outfits – become increasingly risqué. While the ensemble of acrobats, dancers and singers are each remarkable, of particular note are the mind-boggling feats of con-
PHAT CAB CLUB HHHHH HHH VENUE:
Circus
TIME:
44
Gluttony - Rymill Park run ended
In PHAT CAB CLUB, some of Australia’s best up-and-coming young acts show off in an hour of high-energy, high-skilled contemporary circus. Led by MC Rhys Davies, whose flair for puns and gross-out tricks is superb, the award-winning collective modernises all the traditional parts of the circus – juggling,
tortionist Ugi Otgonbayar and the aerial hoop routine of Caitlin Tomson-Moylan and Spencer Craig. With more confetti and pillow fights than you can poke a special
French ‘musical instrument’ at, Blanc de Blanc Encore is a decadent and intoxicating night out. ✏︎ Lauren Butterworth
acrobatics, hula and dance – to a soundtrack of hip-hop beats. Individually, each performer excels and, aside from a few fumbles, marks their place on the stage with confidence. Mark Longo’s haunting dance is a real treat. Like a mechanised doll, his still and mannequin-like face creates an eerie contrast to the precision of his robotic hip-hop moves. A crowd favourite is Odette Robbins, whose virtuosic juggling melts her increasing number of little white balls to a blur. But the real high point of the evening is Emily Chilver’s rope routine. In
an astounding feat of strength and grace, she demonstrates why circus remains so captivating: it’s superhuman. While each performer is strong alone in a cabaret-style variety show, the collaborations are where the energy really turns up, like Longo’s duet with diabolo king Jordan Twartz. But this does draw attention to parts of the night which lack a similar cohesion. That said, this independent company is yet more evidence that you don’t need a huge budget and high production values to stage good circus. ✏︎ Lauren Butterworth
