Cirque
Alfonse
Sydney Opera
House until 4th March, 2017.
Performance
on 16th February reviewed by Bill Stephens.
Four beefy,
bearded blokes, two apparently boneless women and three talented multi-
instrumentalists make up the cast of this quirky, clever “nouveau cirque” show. Between them, they display an extraordinary
array of physical skills, including reckless roller-skating, spitting ping-pong
balls at each other, bouncing on teeter boards, and balancing heavy metal beer
kegs which spray beer in all directions.
Taking its
name from the French word meaning bearded, “Barbu” originated in Quebec, and harkens
back to the origins of circus in Montreal when bearded locals would show off
their circus skills in fairgrounds. Indeed for much of the first half of the
show, the men’s costumes and demeanour suggest lumberjacks, and the physical
skills like handkerchief and hat juggling, hint at their origins.
However when
the men strip to their speedos (and occasionally beyond) the show really heats
up, and their acrobatic skills and feats of strength are pushed to extraordinary
lengths which seem even scarier when performed in such close proximity to their
audience.
Strikingly
original in concept, “Barbu” is slickly choreographed and performed dead-pan,
except for an occasional wink here and there. It’s punctuated with dance and
vocal sequences performed by the whole ensemble, on a small circular stage at
the end of a catwalk. The audience surrounds the action on three sides, while large
television screens positioned above their heads, display abstract scenes with
which the performers sometimes interact. The three-piece band pumps out
evocative Klezmer-style music to accompany the action as show becomes ever more
surreal.
Integral parts
of the ensemble, the two women perform an erotic contortionist duet, join in
the action on various apparatus, including trapeze and poles, or are tossed
nonchalantly between the men. A beefy guy clad in a mirror-ball spins around
the stage in a huge hula hoop. A fakir performs
magic tricks involving a live guinea pig, and a two-headed sword-swallower. At
one point he’s encased in a large punching bag to become the target for cream
pies hurled by an audience member.
Expect the
unexpected from this show. It offers a wild ride through contemporary electro
trad cabaret which is brilliantly performed, continuously entertaining, often
sexy and always surprising.
This review also appears in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
