By Peter Maddern
This Melbourne based crew’s tweak of the circus staples is to play with light, how the strong man, the juggling, the high wire and gymnastics get lit. And they do it very well.
What Illuminate also does is use a lot of contemporary dance to link up their work as well as introduce a playfulness between its players that seems very in place for this young cast, with mixes of post-adolescent aggression, emotion and general rabble rousing. It seems the cast has had a very real involvement in the creation of the routines; meeting a desire to please themselves and attract an audience that sits between the more usual family friendly circus crowd of oldies and kids, that is guys around their age.
That is not to dismiss the skill on show. There are in it two wonderful pas de deux, the first where Patrick Denison and Felicia Lannan are wound up tightly with fairy lights and the latter with Jon Bonventura and Phoebe Carlson where the performers are lit by torches in the tights around their calf muscles and forearms as they ride up and down the rope. These are delightful and surreal exhibitions of skills, poise and strength.
Byron Hutton also delights in his juggling routines, lit with ultra violet lights, (and is perhaps the best seen so far this Fringe in that department) and Carlson also gives an alternate form of the high wire walk stepping ever so gingerly on lit wine bottles.
Throw in a wheelchair and some hoops and this is nothing other than a rollicking fine show to enjoy.
Croquet club attendees should take note – you won’t be really soaking up the atmosphere in Victoria Square unless you are also seeing the light with Illuminate. Go tonight or over the weekend.
Kryztoff Rating 4K
Recent Comments