Created by
Scott Maidment for Strut and Fret.
Choreographed
by Hilton Denis and Rechelle MansourCostumes designed by James Browne – Music arranged by Steve Toulmin
Fortuna Spiegeltent, Canberra Theatre forecourt until 21st April 2019.
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
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| Hilton Denis - Blaise Garza (c) - Helena Bittencourt |
The arrival
of spiegeltents in Australia has led to the creation of a whole new genre of variety
entertainment combining music, circus, dance, song and comedy blended together
by a theme.
“Life – The
Show”, follows this format. The first half establishes the theme, in this case,
the journey through life, in which everyman characters, played by Dutch clown,
Goos Meeuwsen and his partner, Helena Bittencourt, hilariously fumble their way
through life’s lessons, aided by an existentialist voice-over, and some
cleverly staged dance sequences mixed with extraordinary sight acts, the most
memorable being an erotic duet performed in what appears to be a giant condom.
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| Goos Meeuwsen and Helena Bittencourt |
The theme
continues through the second half, which is much more celebratory, with the cast
costumed in Mardi gras outfits performing a succession of eye-popping physical
feats. Outstanding among them is an amazing 22 year-old, German born acrobat,
Tim Kriegler with an astonishing aerial strap act performed to a mash-up of
Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue”. Equally
impressive is a young NICA trained trapeze artist, Elke Uhd, whose brilliantly
choreographed trapeze solo provides another highlight.
 |
| Tim Kriegler |
Although
pre-recorded enhancements are utilised, most of the music is performed live by
vocalists Rechelle Mansour and Lee Taylor, together with drummer, Attis Clopton
and saxophonist, Blaise Garza, joined by members of the cast who between them utilise
20 different instruments for the excellent musical arrangements which support
the acts. Garza also contributes his own crowd-pleasing act swinging out over
the audience while playing some cool saxophone, while Hilton Denis and Rechelle
Mansour dance up a storm with some nifty dance routines.
While “Life
– The Show” doesn’t quite achieve the joie de vivre of its predecessor, “Blanc
de Blanc”, it stills offers of diverting night of adult entertainment for the
young at heart.
