Adelaide Fringe 2016
Papillon
Highwire Events & Entertainment
Venue: Gluttony, The Octagon - Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka Corner East Terrace & Rundle Road, Adelaide
Festival: Adelaide Fringe
Low Down
A spectacular and debaucherous buffet of circus, cabaret and comedy turning typical circus on its head. Papillon returns with loads of new acts as well as some favourites from previous years. Come experience Papillon.
Review
This show is one of the stand outs of the Fringe – my partner and I got to Gluttony, grabbed a drink and then got in the line for the show. It was a big line. It had snaked all the way around the Octagon tent and doubled up, so that the back of the queue was in line with the entrance to the tent.
The doors open and we all filtered in. There is a buzz, an anticipation in the full house that is here. The reputation of this show has clearly spread and you can feel it in the vibe of the audience. It feeds the excitement of the night.
Then the house lights go down and we begin with a song by the talented Minnie Andrews. From that moment forward I am captivated by the show as it moves from song to circus acts to humour quickly, easily and seamlessly.
The acrobatic feats of the performers are simply breathtaking, show balance, strength and grace. Each act is relatively brief, so that there is never a time in the show where you are thinking to yourself, ‘Yeah ok, I’ve seen this, what’s next?’
The structure of the show is another feature. The cast have managed to balance the show perfectly. Throughout the show they mix it up from a song, to a circus act to a little bit of comedy and banter with the audience. This makes every single moment of the show compelling.
But of course the all good things have to come to an end. To say they saved the best till last doesn’t do the rest of the show justice because it is all equally good, but the double juggling act performed at the end was simply brilliant. it combined the physical skills and comedy that epitomise this show.
My one disappointment was the they didn’t make as much use of the cheekiness of the diminutive Amy Nightingale-Olson as they have done in a previous iteration of the show. Oh well.
All in all, if you only go to see one show this Fringe, this is the one.
