There are circuses and then some. And then there is La Ronde, which has just opened at Sydney’s Grand Electric Ballroom.
This gem of a production from Brisbane-based producers Strut and Fret has been doing the rounds of Australia for most of the year presenting cabaret style circus at its purest.
Stripped of the artifice of an over-arching narrative and flashy set-ups, La Ronde presents itself with little more than a large mirror ball on a 360-degree stage, surrounded by tight seating that ensures an intimacy between performers and audience.
Each performer has honed their skills to a level not seen outside of the world’s best big tent shows or Las Vegas style stages, and brings the art back into an often tired and corny format.
Drawn from a local and international cast, the emphasises is on showcasing each performer’s skills up close, a luxury not experienced in larger arenas such as Cirque du Soleil.
The show starts with the svelte Dominican Republic disco diva Geniris Mena belting it out from atop the mirror ball, bringing her skills earned from The Lion King and Forever King of Pop to bear.
Looking like an escapee from Where’s Wally, biscuit-power uni-cyclist Sam Goodburn’s comedic antics only get better when he looses his pants, a situation that can only be rectified with the help pf an audience member. This precarious state-of-affairs gives a whole new meaning to a balls up.
Giving a whole new meaning on hair extensions is hair hang/aerialist Zoe Marshall, who astounds with her feats that she performs while hanging from the roof of the Grand Electric by a hook inserted into her luxurious locks.
If you have seen hair hanging performers before wait until you witness the artistry of this National Institute of Circus Arts graduate.
Coming from a long line of Russian circus performers, Australian Danik Abishev is more at home on his hands than his feet. Perfecting this complex art started at the age of four and has taken him around the world to some of the most famous circus productions including La Clique, LIMBO and L’Hotel.
Aussie Adam Malone simply stuns with his physical prowess balancing on his in various positions on the Washington trapeze. This rare discipline involves intense concentration, strength and control and Malone is one of the few in the world currently doing it, and in heels at that.
We are lucky to have pole artist and aerialist Sergiy Mishchurenko as he was almost caught up in the Ukraine war, but still managed to bring his dazzling flying pole act to La Ronde. These feats have made Mishchurenko something of a TikTok star.
Ukraine/German, Diana Bondarenko, stops the show when she becomes a blur of blonde hair as she performs her pyramid trapeze act, which reaches such speeds they seem humanly impossible.
Driven by a great soundtrack of eighties dance tunes the entire night is upbeat and energy filled as the acts leave the audience in awe with their mastery of physicality and creativity.
For all of its standout moments La Ronde also has a few clunky one, starting with its clunky opening that misses the moment to announce an event. The seques between the acts do not always work as seamlessly as they should and could do with some fine-tuning.
These become minor points, as it is the power of the performances that ultimately matter, and on this score La Ronde wins hands down.
La Ronde
The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Performance: Thursday 23 October 2025
Season continues to 21 December 2025
Information and Bookings: www.larondetheshow.com
Images: Geniris Mena in La Ronde (supplied) | Adam Malone in La Ronde – photo by Jacinta Oaten | Sergiy Mishchurenko in La Ronde (supplied)
Review: John Moyle