Adelaide Fringe

Fringe Review: Cirque Nocturne

Classic film noir in circus form

Presented by Cirque Nocturne
Reviewed 27 Feb 2018

I love a good Noir act. Film, theatre or cabaret, it’s all good. Just give me men in trench coats, women in velvet and undertones of mystery and sexual tension and I’m a happy girl. So last evening’s adventure into Gluttony to see Cirque Nocturne at the Empyrean tent was greatly enjoyed, and much like the hula hoop act in the performance, it left me spinning.

While not the most smooth or fluid circus performance the Fringe has to offer this year, this local Adelaide troupe performed classic circus feats to a narrative and soundtrack right out of a Noir classic. It was short of the clowns and animal tricks familiar to those of us who have attended a big top event in the past, but all the other old favourites are there including juggling (in multiple forms), silk and trapeze acts. There is also fire twirling and pole dancing, just to make sure they hit all the Fringe favourites in the one hour show…

While the tricks were fiery and jaw dropping, those classic film noir characters were a little subdued. That being said, the charm of our dark and mysterious Private Investigator host helped the story along and took the audience from one set to the other. The soundtrack was also perfect, and helped to set the scene with a combination of new, old and Post Modern Jukebox classics.

It’s a little rough around the edges, but all in all, Cirque Nocturne is a whimsical and well performed piece certainly worth checking out. Our hot tip is to make sure you do give them a look this year, because the Adelaide Fringe veterans are headed to the San Francisco Fringe in the coming months, so they’ll be twice as expensive in 2019 as an ‘international act!

Reviewed by Jenna Woods
Twitter: @jennaswoods

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Venue: Empyrean at Gluttony
Season: 27th February – 4th March 2018
Duration:
60mins
Tickets:  Full Price: $30, Concession/Child: $25, Family $110
Bookings:  https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/cirque-nocturne-af2018 

www.adelaidefringe.com.au

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