Limbo gives us a mix of circus, burlesque and cabaret. Photo: Damien Bredburg
Strut & Fret’s Blanc de Blanc shows, which sold out at the Grand Electric, prove hard acts to follow but Limbo – The Return has its moments.
In this global ensemble, headed by New York acoustic musician Sxip Shirley, the South African/NZ/Aussie tap-dancing charmer Hilton Denis and Spanish tightrope acrobat David Marco Pintado are standouts in a show that also offers fire-eating tricks and some gravity-defying aerial performances.
Although the individual acts are polished – Mikael Bres’s Chinese pole antics leave one in wonder as to his core strength and Maria Moncheva’s flexibility as she flies through the air is awesome – the show lacked pace sometimes. There’s a very amusing ‘striptease’ sequence but there is also a lot of strutting and posing – fair enough, given the ripped torsos on show and if admiring lithe bodies in fishnets, corsets and black boots is your thing, but it was a long time before Australia’s Clara Fable showed us her flame tricks and before Bulgaria’s Moncheva took to the air.
Shirley is known for his sound compositions, using often unusual ‘musical’ instruments (his use of a marble and glass bowl, for example, conjures the sound of Tibetan singing bowl and an alarm clock). For this iteration of Limbo, he is joined by two Aussie musicians: Grant Arthur wearing his funky (and at one point seemingly engulfed in flame) sousaphone; and drummer and guitarist Mick Stuart, who has devised his own musical creation, the Polymba. Their music bookends the show and provides continuity between the other acts.
The Limbo shows, which began under Scott Maidment’s direction at the Adelaide Fringe in 2013, have an impressive touring resume. Limbo – the Return lacks the playful humour and hilarious repartee of Strut & Fret’s Blanc de Blanc shows, giving us more in the way of musical entertainment instead. A mix of circus, burlesque and cabaret, one of the joys of this production in such an intimate venue is that the audience is up close and personal – the performers are indeed in front of our very eyes, and very often above them. All of which makes for some memorable moments.
Until May 22
Tickets $60-$155
More: https://strutnfret.com/grand-electric/limbo-the-return-sydney/
