One of the positives to come out of Covid has been the rise in popularity of physical theatre cabaret fuelled by the return home of many of Australia’s best practitioners following the forced closure of many of the world’s most famous cabaret and circus venues.
One of those practitioners is Ash Jacks (McCready), a former Assistant Creative Director for Cirque Du Soleil, who seized an opportunity to team up with her former dance teacher, Julieann Nugent, to create Cirque Bon Bon.
For its first season in Canberra, Jacks and Nugent have gathered an incredible cast of world class physical theatre exponents and surrounded them with a beautiful production in which dance and eye-pleasing stage imagery are pivotal.
Their flair is immediately obvious with the spectacular light show that surrounds the four excellent dancers, Holly Soper, Tiara McCool, Jayden Grogan and Hunter-Jai Clist, who ensure the seamless flow of the production by introducing each act with a cleverly choreographed mini-ballet or ceremonial procession.
The show is hosted by the genuinely funny Clark McFarlane aka Mario, Queen of the Circus. Mario has the audience in fits of laughter in seconds. It turns out he’s an obsessive fan of the band, Queen, and a dab hand at juggling which he hilariously demonstrates to the music of Another One Bites the Dust.
Each act in the 75 minute show, which is presented without interval, is world-class. Aerial Hoop artist, Thomas Worrell, drew gasps with his seemingly impossible physical manoeuvres on a suspended hoop.
Duo Synergy (Emma Goh and Scott Lazarevich), had a similar reaction to their graceful but dangerous Hand to Hand routine. Later they earned cheers with their stunning confetti bomb, quick change routine while spinning madly on roller skates.
Fifth generation circus performer, Cody Harrington, won the prestigious World Juggling Federation Championship in Las Vegas in 2010. He’s also devilishly handsome in his black glitter suit and not above flirting while performing his complex juggling routine flawlessly.
Since graduating from the National Institute of Circus Arts in 2018, Liam Dummer has established himself internationally as an outstanding exponent of the aerial straps. His dynamic mouth hanging routine left some in the audience checking their dentures.
Recognised as one of the best Cyr Wheel artists of his generation, Canadian Alexandre Lane made the impossible look easy, and his audience uneasy, as his huge Cyr wheel appeared to sail very close to the edge of the Canberra Theatre stage.
Contortion figured prominently among the acts with three of the artists incorporating wildly differing contortion skills into their routines. In addition to Thomas Worrell with his suspended hoop, Ashleigh Roper thrilled with her ingenuity in assimilating her contortionist skills into an extraordinary hula hoop routine like no other.
But it is the amazing combination of contortion and foot dexterity that makes Shannen Michaela’s act absolutely unique. To watch her bend her body back over her head and gracefully fire an arrow into a target several metres away has to be seen to be believed.
To attach description labels to any of these acts does them a disservice because as performed by each of these artists, all are unique and at the very peak of the skill level.
However, besides the brilliance of the acts, it is the extraordinary level of presentation surrounding them that sets Cirque Bon Bon on a level of its own among similar shows of this genre where excellence and imaginative presentation are a given. You need to see it for yourself.
Cirque Bon Bon
Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, Canberra
Performance: Thursday 22 August 2024
Season continues to 24 August 2024
Following the Canberra season, Cirque Bon Bon will be presented at the South Bank Piazza, as part of the 2024 Brisbane Festival (18 – 20 September). For more information, visit: www.cirquebonbon.com for details.
Image: Duo Synergy (Emma Goh and Scott Lazarevich) in Cirque Bon Bon – photo by Scott Belzner
Review: Bill Stephens OAM