Aerialicious UP LATE is a delicious adults-only sexy circus with a madcap minx as the mistress of ceremonies who won’t mince words, combining comic catchphrases with caustic wit as she introduces each of the artists to bump and grind in a glorious collection of exhibitionism.
Burlesque brought back as bold as brass, with all its tatas, posteriors, and an awesome array of acrobatic acts.
The all-female and non-binary troop was a wonder to behold. Their agility, strength, and flexibility combined to create an endearing effect on their enthusiastic audience—wild whoops and cheers, to be precise.
The aerial ring (lyra), hula hoops, aerial straps, pole dancing, hand balancing, contortionism, and even an old-fashioned fan dance were all staged inside a pole dancing gym at 2/42 Burnett Lane in Brisbane’s CBD. The audience was inches away from having a sequined bra land in their lap.
Aerialicious bills itself as innovative, and from what I saw, that’s about as accurate an assessment as you can get.
The show is part of Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival, running from 19th July to 4th August.
The big energy opening number to MARVELous: A Risque Parody gave the audience a taste of what was to come. There were showgirls dressed in sexy red, white and blue outfits, high kicking, singing and dancing around a muscular square jawed Captain America, played by Luka Lea-Vestic holding up his big round shield.
It was reminiscent to a scene from Captain America named “The Star Spangled Man with a Plan” except director, creator and composer Samwise Holmes cleverly wrote a parody called “The Man with America’s Ass” with lyrics such as “Who’s got a glorious gluteus maximus? The vote for the world’s greatest bum is unanimous. A posterior that’s all class. The man with America’s Ass”!
From here I guessed that this was going to be a mix between a satirical musical, a flamboyant gathering of colourful costumes and cheeky burlesque dancing. What I didn’t foresee was another layer – one which involved not only raunchy strip dancing, but dancing in many different styles, including a ballet act, dancing using a whirlpole and a modern puppet master dance led by Scarlet Witch, played by Brea Holland. Added into the mix was a good dose of aerial and stage acrobatics, with risqué humour woven in. Listening to the audience’s reaction to the performances around the theatre, it was clear that MARVELous was hitting all the right notes!
Each performance involved a seperate Marvel character act, unique to them and was unrelated to others. There was not a storyline from start to finish, rather a series of acts where the Marvel characters embodied their character traits and special powers. They performed a particular dance, sometimes singing along to parodies of a well known scene from a movie. When they were not performing as their main Marvel character, the cast of 12 supported each other by playing other roles onstage.
One stand out performance was by Megan Wonfor, who played Black Widow. Her fight scene with two ninjas dressed head to toe in black was phenomenal. The three of them did a “dance fight” full of acrobatic tumbles and sharp acrobatic leaps, all in time to music. It was visually one of the most beautiful fight scenes I’ve ever seen!
Another performance I really enjoyed was from Fat Thor, played by Thomas Remaili, who used the pole in his routine and made climbing up it and hanging off at zig zag angles look easy, despite wearing croc slip on shoes and having his legs and arms covered, which left me wondering how he was able to grip the pole. His huge prosthetic belly didn’t hinder Fat Thor as he performed his routine, and his humour had the audience laughing and cheering him on.
Deadpool, played by Justin Wise, was the show’s sassy narrator. When he was onstage, his role as the storyteller appeared to be more of a stand up comedian and involved him bantering with the audience to bring the show to a more personal level.
The choreography of all the dance acts was so varied, and executed with precision by the actors. If all the dance routines were too similar, it would have been a lacklustre show. Choreographer Luka Lea-Vestic ensured that audiences would be treated to a mix of styles that captured our attention.
James Wallis’ lighting, in combination with the creative three-story cityscapes scaffolding set design by Dan Potra, was effective throughout the show to both elevate the vibrancy of the mood and to build the suspense in darkened scenes. In one performance Iron Woman, played by Lulani Rawson, led a multi woman lineup of Marvel characters in a dance, with each performer using her lights on her hands to create exciting paths of lights into the audience as the male performers lit them up from behind. This was a mesmerising scene.
Action Reaction Entertainment have brought a dynamic show to the Chatswood Concourse theatre for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There were cheers and laughter as they understood and appreciated the jokes and references throughout the performance. Even if you weren’t familiar with all the characters, there were acts which brought in parodies of some very well known musicals as well. Despite some opening night hiccups with the sound, the soundtrack paired with the casts’ high energy performances ensured the audience had plenty of laughs and a MARVELous night out.
MARVELous: A Risque Parody is playing at the Chatswood Concourse. Be aware that it is an 18 + event.
Show Run: Friday 26 July – 10 August 2024 Tickets: from $59 – $125
www.marveloustheshow.com.au
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
Are children really stinky? How many ‘bot bot’ jokes can you fit into a 45 minute show? And who enjoyed this jam packed, super fun extravaganza more? The adults or the kids? These are extremely important questions if you are aged 4-12 or a grown up who has surrendered to their inner child. In the spirit of ‘Children Are Stinky’, an exciting, award-winning children’s comedy by Circus Trick Tease, the answers ….. will be revealed at the end of this review. Spoiler Alert!
Jason and Kylie (not their real names) take an extra big and farty bow! You two rockstars managed to mesmerise a mob of 150 mini-humans without resorting to TikTok trickery, coolness, or screen time sorcery. Your old-school, analogue awesomeness has earned you a gold star in the annals of kid-entertainment history.
‘Children are Stinky’ dares young adventurers to be smart, imaginative and active. A joyful jamboree of giggles, grins, and triumphant high-fives in a crazy circus celebration of youthful exuberance and laughter.
How truly wonderful to see children bouncing and dancing in their seats, unable to tear their eyes away from the charm of this immensely silly and clever show. What is it about? Well…. nothing, but how nice it is to be alive, move your body and cackle until your bum drops off. It’s like they were stuck in a vortex of pure, unadulterated joy – and honestly, who can blame them? It’s a spectacle so awesomely absurd, you’ll be jiggling along with the kids in no time. Pure bliss erupted when a small but mighty voice cut through the chaos, triumphantly declaring ‘YOU licked it!’ (don’t panic – it was a blackboard) – a hilariously perfect moment that encapsulated the show and elements of audience participation.
The air was electric with squeals of delight, shouts of ‘Higher! Higher!’ as Jason balanced on his head or a chair or over a kid, Kylie dangled from a swing and they both trashed the stage with balloons, puppets, props and nonsense – all set to a soundtrack of upbeat jams. The Parramatta light rail staff on their 100th testing loop were probably scratching their heads, wondering if they’d missed a memo about a spontaneous kindergarten rave party breaking out nearby!
Parents beware – there will soon be a buyers rush and shortage of whoopee cushions. Stock up immediately. They are now more coveted than a selfie with a unicorn. And kids across Western Sydney will be driving their parents bonkers over the holidays as they try to master handstands, drop siblings on their heads (oops!), balance chair towers, juggle (kind of), and probably swing from the clothesline.
This show was perfect stinky holiday entertainment. Get ready to revel in the nostalgia of retro-rad fun and games, and inspire the kids to put down their screens and get playful too! Your kid will love it. You will love it. And let’s be real, the farts are just the cherry on top – don’t pretend you’re not excited!
Answers: 1. Yes, children ARE stinky. But they were ok with that because everyone else is stinky too. 2. How many farts? At least 54. I lost count, but the words and actions never lost impact. 3. Who enjoyed it more? As an ex-kindergarten teacher I can honestly say that apart from writing this review, it was the most fun I’ve had since I had a crush on Greg from that other kids show.
Cirque Bon Bon made its grand debut at the Atheneum Theatre in Melbourne last night, leaving the audiences delighted by their experience. This extraordinary production is reminiscent of the captivating performances seen in Cirque du Soleil shows from hypnotic circus-style acts to breathtaking acrobatics and graceful dance routines, each piece is accompanied by a carefully chosen soundtrack that perfectly complements the performance, whether it’s a heart-pounding beat or a dreamy melody.
While Cirque Bon Bon doesn’t follow a specific theme or narrative, the show is held together by the charismatic presence of Mario, Queen of the Circus, a world-renowned comedy emcee. Last night, Mario had the audience in stitches with his death-defying unicycle experiment, which involved a brave (or perhaps terrified) audience member.
Another unsuspecting volunteer found themselves engaged in a hilariously absurd death-by-banana battle with Mario. The laughter was infectious, and the comedic interactions was a highlight that added an extra layer of entertainment to the show.
It comes as no surprise to learn that Cirque Bon Bon was created by the talented duo of former Cirque du Soleil Assistant Creative Director Ash Jacks and choreographer Julieann Nugent. Their artistic vision and expertise is seen through every aspect of the show.
Cirque Bon Bon features an incredible lineup of talented performers. The cast include the extraordinary contortionist and foot archery artist Shannen Michaela, who holds the Guinness World Record for shooting an arrow the farthest with her feet. You’ll also witness the awe-inspiring Cyr Wheel artistry of Alexandre Lane, the mesmerizing Aerial Hoop contortion and Hula Hoop skills of Ashleigh Roper, and the impressive hand-to-hand and skating duo Emma Goh and Scott Lazarevich from Australia.
The show also features the captivating Aerial Straps and mouth hang performances by Liam Dummer and juggling by Cody Harrington. Cirque Bon Bon is complete with fabulous dancers Jayden Grogan, Holly Soper, Hunter-Jai Clist, and Tiara Locke.
Hurry and get your tickets because this hot show has a short season – Cirque Bon Bon plays at The Athanaeum from 11 to 13 July at the Athenaeum Theatre
Photographer: Disclose Media
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
