POWER | Strong lady Productions
circus, review Tristan Niemi circus, review Tristan Niemi

POWER | Strong lady Productions

Childs herself seems like the type of person whose hugs make you feel safe. She possesses a charm that helps her win the audience over almost immediately. Childs is the perfect guide and guardian for the audience as they travel through what power, strength, vulnerability, and weakness all look and feel like to them. From hearing her story and witnessing her vulnerability I can confidently say Childs is not only a Strong Lady, she is a strong person as well.

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The Long Pigs | We3
circus, review Kati Murphy circus, review Kati Murphy

The Long Pigs | We3

I strongly feel like dark humour such as this plays an important role in fostering our resilience as humans. For this reason, the Long Pigs is a brilliant example of disruptive theatre and highlights for me the importance of the fool in creating social commentary through clowning. It was the perfect balance between dark and light.

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Briefs: The Classics | Briefs Factory
circus, burlesque, review Ads J circus, burlesque, review Ads J

Briefs: The Classics | Briefs Factory

As a shameless Briefs groupie, I’d seen all the acts before, but that didn’t matter in the slightest. All the performers know how to work the crowd and respond to the audience’s energy, camping up acts and whipping us into a frenzied applause at the drop of a hat. And of course, Shivannah kept the show moving at a high pace with her winning commentary and stunning outfits sourced from op shops around the world.

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Arterial | Na Djinang
circus, review Ofa Fanaika circus, review Ofa Fanaika

Arterial | Na Djinang

This performance for me showcased the new storytellers of our time, the holders, and caretakers of ancestral message. The work of Arterial to me was a deep dive into what it means to be living now, as a First Nations person in so-called Australia. Ritual and Relationship a strong theme throughout, upheld in a deep respect of Country, Culture and Self.

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Knee Deep | Casus Creations
circus, review Catherine Lawrence circus, review Catherine Lawrence

Knee Deep | Casus Creations

Knee Deep is a beautifully-crafted display that wordlessly spans both the Intimate and large scale. The 60 minute show is absolutely packed with contemporary circus skills, including literal high-points of towers, hoop, trapeze, and silks—and intimate moments of playful wooing of the egg, and interchangeable, duets, trios, and quartets that move across and though the space.

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Club Culture Cabaret | Briefs Factory
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Club Culture Cabaret | Briefs Factory

At night, the Brisbane Powerhouse is a towering structure. When awash in a coloured glow, the industrial legacies of its brick exterior are exposed and amplified. Standing tall, it looms above the heads of those swallowed by its glass doors. Yet on Sunday night, with Fez Fa’anana (as Shivannah) sauntering amongst arriving audiences and flashing smiles over diamantéd shoulders, the building had never felt so warm.

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Diva Dive | Finucane and Smith
cabaret, circus, review Kristy Stanfield cabaret, circus, review Kristy Stanfield

Diva Dive | Finucane and Smith

This is a variety show with a travelling circus feel to it, its numerous stunning acts from around the world sewn together by MC Moira, some kind of vampiric love goddess. She carried us through a host of dazzling dances, spine-tinglingly beautiful singing, trapeze, burlesque, boylesque, physical comedy and all manner of gender-defying feats.

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The Anniversary | Salvador Dinosaur
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The Anniversary | Salvador Dinosaur

I’m not even going to try to mince words, The Anniversary is a physical comedy masterclass. The performances, direction, physical comedy, sets, props, puppetry – basically everything - combine to create a rollercoaster of a ride that had me crying with laughter throughout. If you are a fan of absurdist comedy, clown or dark humour, do not miss this one if it comes to a theatre near you.

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Assume People Like You | Melon The Human
circus, review Ofa Fanaika circus, review Ofa Fanaika

Assume People Like You | Melon The Human

Melon the Human demonstrates clowning at its finest, providing an hour’s worth of circus with the skill of a yesteryear street hustler. He kept us there. Melon’s fluidity in all the balancing, balls, rings, giant cube gags, tennis ball decoys he scatters throughout his performance are masterful. A stellar performance for his first time running this show. Most definitely worth a looksee.

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Casting Off | A Good Catch
circus, review Harmonie Downes circus, review Harmonie Downes

Casting Off | A Good Catch

If you have ever eaten miso on toast, tofu and struggled to remember things, postulating dating and need to read the ethical slut or have wondered why church and state are not separate in parliament, or just a reminder that nothing’s off limits when a bunch of women are together. I want you all to see Casting Off. Don’t miss this show. It is absolutely without doubt, is a must see show and you will be left thinking about it for days after.

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BRED | Briefs Factory
circus, review Jaydem Martin circus, review Jaydem Martin

BRED | Briefs Factory

As impressive as the physical elements were, some of the more powerful moments were the dialogue parts. Emily delivers a powerful spoken word poem that had everyone in the room listening and Luke Hubbard stole the show for me in a closing performance that delved into the ongoing racism in the Australian police force and Indigenous deaths in custody, something that resonated with me deeply.

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In The Arms of Morpheous | ARC Circus
circus, review Katie Rasch circus, review Katie Rasch

In The Arms of Morpheous | ARC Circus

There was something very satisfying about watching Robbie Curtis, the sole performer in In The Arms of Morpheus, float and bounce around in a magical dreamscape. His movement was very fluid and light and the first trick with a big, bouncy cloud of fabric was such a good introduction into his world. Curtis combined some really impressive swinging pole, tumbling and juggling with a lot of well done clowning.

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RUNT | Dee, Cornelius and Wilks
theatre, physical theatre, review Nadia Jade theatre, physical theatre, review Nadia Jade

RUNT | Dee, Cornelius and Wilks

We are ruled by the body. We think our chattering minds are leading this affair but really it is the body that sings and screams, the skin that hungers for touch. You can go mad if no one touches you. You can go mad if love gets all twisted up. We know that children need safety to grow strong and true, they need enough attention to validate them, that emotional maturity and regularity is directly linked to the security we experience in our formative years.

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