The GODZ boys are back as part of the Sydney Fringe, and what a welcome sight they are.
The new show, imaginatively titled Return of the GODZ, sees them in a triumph return to Australia from a sell out run at London’s Peacock Theatre, and after picking ups swag of awards for their first show, The GODZ, which included Best Circus, Fringe World 2022, and Critics choice, Adelaide Fringe 2022.
Sticking to the same premise as the first shows, Return of the GODZ sees the five performers reprising their roles as Hercules, Hermes, Cupid, Apollo and Dionysus, with some of the same acts and a slew of additions.
Over an hour and a half, these five finely honed athletes take many of the tropes of circus and turn it on its head, with jaw dropping acts stripped of artifice and presented with bare authenticity.
Add to that more than a dash of camp humour, commanding stage presences, coupled with displays of great athleticism and a storyline that is so gay as to being its own punch line, Return of the GODZ reinvigorates the sometimes tired presentation of circus and cabaret.
This all Australian show, produced by Head First Acrobats, sees Callan Harris back as a beautiful, beefy and bouncy Hercules, who dazzles with his performance on a ladder, and fools the audience with his whip cracking of lighted candles.
AJ Saltalamacchia as Dionysus can swig a bottle while throwing a knife, and kill with a wink, while Liam Dummer as Cupid makes hand standing on an impossibly tall pile of chairs look comfy. Finally he takes to the air in five-inch heels and turns the aerial rope act into a thing of great beauty and daring, all with no safety net.
Thomas Gorham’s Apollo puts breakdancer Ray Gun (Rachel Gun, 2024 Olympics) in the shadows as he performs on a trapeze and makes head spins look like a blur.
Mat Piva’s role of Hermes covers a lot of ground but he excels with his double fire act and its display of great beauty.
For many, the naked plate act and its endless dick jokes is the highlight, though this is played for laughs, which are easy to come by. The staging is bare bones, as are the costumes (Chelsea Angell and Bryn Meredith), which are easily and often discarded.
The framing of the Greek gods is thin, but it is the performances and the ability of the performers to engage with the audience that make this show so compelling.
Return of the GODZ is good, wholesome camp fun, and is playing at the Entertainment Centre’s Fool’s Paradise until 11 October. With its outdoor wine garden, food options and easy access, this Sydney Fringe event makes for the perfect welcome to a spring evening.
Return of the GODZ
Fools Paradise (The Virago) – Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park (Sydney)
Performance: Thursday 27 August 2026
Season continues to 11 October 2026
Bookings: www.sydneyfringe.com
For more information, visit: www.headfirstacrobats.com for details.
Images: Return of the GODZ – courtesy of Head First Acrobats
Review: John Moyle