Tipsy History | Glitter Martini & Anywhere Festival
Tipsy History is the latest themed circus variety show from company Glitter Martini, who brought us Absolute Trash and 7 Mortal Sinners at previous Anywhere Festivals. They’re a company known for their clever themes and always intriguing line-ups of acts. I had seen some of their work before, so I knew I’d have my jaw hitting the floor at least once this evening.
The evening started off with a bang – an invigorating lyra act by Rachel Ray, who is a well-practiced and artful performer. She got us all in the mood for a bevvy, and then later knocked our socks off again with a hooping act, showing off great precision, balance, flexibility and strength all topped off with plenty of sass and style.
The host, Trent Charles, was a swish character whose many outfits I thoroughly enjoyed. Their dry humour and quick wit carried us through the evening, though I felt it sometimes hit the spot and at other times missed the mark. They did, however, have a great way of involving the audience, riffing off the heckles and getting folks participating throughout the night.
One thing I love about the Glitter Martini shows I’ve seen is they’re always audience participation heavy, which is great to keep the crowd entertained at changeovers between the acts. A particular crowd favourite this time was a modern spin on an Ancient Greek drinking game, which everyone got right into, and it really brought out their competitiveness. These interactive segments made the show intimate and that little more special and memorable for everyone.
Another aspect of Glitter Martini’s shows that I find refreshing is the variety of acts. The intense physicality of the circus pieces was broken up by the comedic relief of the MC, a charming burlesque act by Ophelia Novak and a sexy bottle walking routine.
Another remarkable piece was the impressive contortion of Elena Khaw with a playful cocktail-themed routine. With each bend, flex and twist, I could feel the awe and amazement emanating from those around me at her incredible strength and flexibility.
The absolute star of the show, though, was Fae Bae/Chris Braithwaite. Where do I start? They wowed us with a cheeky (quite literally), titillating, gender-bending pole dance performance showing off their gobsmacking strength and grace. They spun, they flew, they thrusted in mid air. Here’s an act so incredible it has to be seen to be believed. I’ve seen some pole in my time, but that was absolutely amazing. And I’m pretty sure they had everyone in the room questioning their sexuality.
As is allegedly the proper way to end a night of drinking, we ended ours with a dizzying red in the form of a trapeze act by Darcie Rae. It was one of the highlights of the night and the crowd erupted into the loudest cheers of all. She has a grace and a masterfulness to her routines that make it hard to look away. The sight of her spinning, splitting, twisting and climbing – it was a red hot end to a boozy night.
Tipsy History is a show with several stellar acts, but I felt like it could have used more of a cohesive storyline overall. I was expecting more of a walk-through of history from the beginning of brewing to the end, but instead it was a variety of acts sewn together by a host who shared titbits of history in between. The acts themselves were wonderful, but I was hoping for more story and more depth. So while it didn’t quite meet my expectations, I still left amazed at some of the things I had seen and having learnt a few new fun little things about history.
If you’re interested in meandering down alcohol’s memory lane, check out their final show for the season on Friday 26 May at Thirsty Chiefs Brewing Company, North Lakes. Full details and tickets here.
