Gala Night for Adults Only World Class Circus ‘Society’
Melba Spiegeltent, Collingwood, May 12th
Reviewed by Caterina Kuljis
Walking into the Melba Spiegeltent to watch SOCIETY, I was instantly transported into the wild adult nightlife of the French Quarter of New Orleans. The audience was a mix of young, young at heart, urban, alternate, eclectic and mainstream Melbourne.
In true party style, SOCIETY started fashionably late but the rich arrangement of acts rolling smoothly from one to the next made up for this. Entertainment that swept you on a funky train ride of 18 back-to-back acts including dancing, juggling, magician, Chinese pole artistry, balance bar, vocalist, high ropes, hoops, contortionist and more! Let the good times roll and that they did! This show took you on a dark, wild and raw ride.
A cocktail of flamboyance, excitement, naughty, cheeky, cheesy and provocative sensations where heightened as this show unfolded before our eyes.
As much as every act was entertaining, I could not choose a favourite.
Tully Fedorowjtsch amazed us with his flawless juggling abilities complimented with his cheesy presence. He was truly an audience favourite.
Francesco Minniti was great at getting the audience engaged and responsive with laughter and his lip syncing Whitney Houston medley with 3 magic thread changes was hilarious!
Miss Voodu’s Marie Von Lavon (Jacinta Rohan) smokey contortion act was so hypnotic with a hint of creepy as she scratched her nails along the stage but at the same time it was so good that you just could not take your eyes off her.
Alyssa Moore and Mathew Brown were a great duo showcasing their skills across adagio, Chinese pole, ‘Put A Spell On You’ ropes and more; they showcased great chemistry between them.
Mimi (Olesia) LeNoire and Simon Storey’s adagio chair piece to ‘Satin & Saint Paul’ was performed by the sultry and talented vocalist Kara Ciezki. This was a great piece to describe a tortured love/hate relationship where neither can let go; brutal love gone wrong – truly memorising!
Kara Ciezki is a sultry, saucy singer who voice embraced the New Orleans feel and her mingling through the audience added another layer to the mix. As the show finished, the party continued with drinks a-flowing and the incredible vibrant band playing.
The strobe lighting in the opening act added another dimension of film flavour which was awesome. I would have like to have seen more diversity of lighting used throughout the show and especially in such an intimate environment, this would have enhanced the New Orleans party mood and softened some of the nerves/ shakes of some of the acts. T
o add another layer of lavish to the mix I would have liked to have seen the cast have a few more costume changes as most stayed in 1-2 costumes for the show and, finally, to bond the cast with the audience, it would have been great to have been introduced to the cast in the finale.
Having said that SOCIETY nailed it! … Meshing New Orleans party atmosphere and Circus Cabaret. It was hot, edgy and exciting.
Kudos to the director Francesco Minniti and assistant director Julie Sharpe for bringing together a diverse and entertaining adult show. And thank you AfterDark Theatre for supporting the performing arts world by providing an independent cirque company showcasing such quality skills and performance in SOCIETY.
Read our previous article on SOCIETY here
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