Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre and JACs Entertainment
Reviewed 15th June 2022
Cirque Bon Bon is a feast of circus acts with a focus on technical skills that entertain and astonish.
The show is hosted by Mario, self-proclaimed Queen of the Circus. So called for their admiration of the band Queen, which plays a feature in the transition music in the stage changes. He plays into the terrible accent as part of the clownish gimmick and delivers fast-paced puns based on misdirection.
The physical theatre components delight and spoil for choice of each style of circus performance, from strong person choreography, hoop work, contortionist, ribbons, dance, and more. Each starts off slow, warming up the audience for unique takes on their acts and swift heart stopping moments.
The circus acts are introduced and broken up by the six Cirque Bon Bon dancers, which is a fun transition between the acts while being their own enjoyable part of the set. There were some momentary new stage issues but the dancers were quick to blend it into the show without missing the main stunts.
The Space Theatre is an ideal location for the show with each section offering a unique view. The stalls offer direct eye line to the aerial work to show the height and risk, while the cabaret seating down the front is the splash zone. The show comes right up to the edge of the stage with limbs and props whizzing directly in front of that part of the crowd.
The strong pair, Duo Synergy, has a fantastic take on their style of act. They incorporate dance with fluctuations, and even unexpected costume reveals, in pace for seamless movement between the demonstration of strength, balance, and flexibility. They top their first act by completing the second in roller skates.
Outside of Mario, the show leans away from some tropes that can appear in circus acts at festivals, such as additional clown comedy or burlesque aspects, to highlight the impressive talent behind such a physical show. The longer length of the show provides for greater allowance in the changeover aspects and brings even more fun to the stage.
Cirque Bon Bon is in town to put on their Adelaide premiere at the Cabaret Festival. Their current run in Adelaide ends on Sunday 19th June and has twice daily performances over the weekend.
Reviewed by Alex Dunkin
Twitter: @AlexDunkin
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide.
Season: 15th – 19th June 2022
Duration: 75 mins
Tickets: $30-$89
Bookings: https://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au/events/cirque-bon-bon/
Rating out of 5: 4
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