If you have wandered past the Arts Centre in Melbourne recently, you will have noticed that The Famous Spielgeltent is back in town. Returning along with it is the return season of last year’s hot ticket show, La Clique. Selling out night after night last season, it is doing a similar trade this year.
The show is very much in the circus sideshow tradition with amazing feats, raunch, innuendo and laughs. It is an extremely slick production which distances it from a Carny styled circus, making it a sophisticated show that Melbourne’s cultural elite would love to be seen at.
Even though the show has been described as circus burlesque there is very little titillation in the form of scantily clad female performers, instead it seems to be geared towards exciting the ladies. This became apparent from the start as the “disappearing hanky striptease trick” of the opening act was performed not by a woman as it was last year, but by the moustachioed gent Mozes. There were plenty of other instances of eye candy in the form of well toned gents sans their shirts.
Poster Boy, the mesmerising David O’Mer was back with his bathtub along with a number of new additions to the show. Male tango duo Los Hermanos Macana were a blaze of rapid footwork and Mozes did a disturbingly schizophrenic silks act. Miss Flee performed a stunning sexy trapeze act that was backed by a hot & heavy version of ‘Roxanne” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, giving it a narrative of sorts. All the performers impressed with their feats of agility and most added the perfect amount of humour to their acts to keep the evening’s mood light.
Balancing duo The English Gents impressed with their feats of strength and balance. They exhibited amazing control in their routine in the midst of the extreme exertion whilst maintaining the personas of repressed English gentlemen and not breaking too much of a sweat. They even went a bit Tim Brooke-Taylor at the conclusion of their spot by stripping down to their patriotic smalls.
Wearing roller skates, American Amy G popped up in a few short spots of comic relief. She adopted an endearing persona that exhibited awkwardness and dagginess that was a wonderful contrast to her elegant attire. She danced, sang, played the ukulele and demonstrated a surprisingly innovative method of playing the kazoo.
Local boy (via Norway) Captain Froddo entertained the crowd with his famous tennis racquet contortion. He was a brilliant spectacle of out of control lunacy with his flailing around and sickening dislocations. With his wacky Tijuana Brass backing music and many “ta da!” flourishes of confetti, he was a delight to watch. Froddo also returned later with his amazing Tin Can Pyramid.
On the night I attended, there was an appearance by a special guest, one of Christopher Green’s alter egos Ida Barr, Grand Dame of English Music Hall and Hip Hop. It was quite a contrast to his performance as Tina C earlier that evening in that the political and social satire was replaced by genuine silliness.
By all reports, this years edition of La Clique is a much improved show. There are no apparent flat spots with one amazing act after another. Do yourself a favour and secure yourself one of the hottest tickets in town.
La Clique is running until December 17th from Tues to Sun. The show starts at 9:15pm and there is a Saturday late show at 11:30pm. See Spielgeltent for further details.