Zoe - Melbourne Fringe Review

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Thu 06 Oct 2022 - Fri 14 Oct 2022

The Fringe Festival performers are amongst the gutsiest and most risqué. You are never quite sure of what you will get but guaranteed the performers will be performing their hearts out, putting their bodies on the line and pushing the boundaries to engage the audience. They made me ache just looking at them.


With acrobats in their 30s,40s and 60s, they make me feel ashamed that I can hardly muster up the energy to run to my own letterbox. Art house circus has been described as - from an intergenerational, feminist perspective with considerable gumption, outstanding skill and a truckload of humour.

The light dialogue of mainly yelps of "carbon", refugees" and other comments of social concern today had me wondering if a pause was coming and a monologue to follow but no… the acrobatics continued with considerable reflective effect. The carefully selected words spoken together with the mixture of lighting and sound allowed the performers a breather as they jumped over, held up and supported all kinds of aerobic twists and turns and the audience time to digest the impact of the carefully selected vocab. This was impressive - non-stop, jaw-dropping entertainment for the entire show.

There was many an occasion when I heard the packed audience suck in a quick breath as the performer of my generation with the bird nest hat gently carefully lifted her colleague up as if presenting her to the gods. A feat requiring considerable strength, determination and commitment not lost on me.

Not to be understated, their first show has won the Edinburgh Total Theatre Award for Circus, Best Circus Melbourne Fringe and Best Circus Adelaide Fringe Award. They've scooped the trifecta.



Seriously, these performers were as strong and fit as they could be. You may be able to manage a bench press but gripping hands whilst sitting at an obscure angle on top of the kitchen table, that's something to behold. Do not try this at home!



If you want to see on stage a fine example of something tough, strong and well-made from the 1960s, (and I'm not just referring to my nan's kitchen table used as both prop and apparatus) grab your tickets now and enjoy Zoe. You are never too old for the circus. Even if you don't usually go to the circus this will enthral, amaze and scare you… in a fabulous way.

Thanks to David White for their significant contributions to this article.



#cabaret
#carlton
#circus
#comedy
#family
#city
#theatre
#october
!date 06/10/2022 -- 14/10/2022
%wnmelbourne