Adelaide Fringe 2015

Enter the world of Leo…

To your right, Leo’s world exists. A bare room containing nothing more than painted walls and a floor: red, black and blue. This is Leo’s actual and very lonely world: just him and his briefcase. 

To your left however, is the ingenious creative video screen showing a flipped version of the actual room. This is where Leo’s weightlessness and unbelievable feats seem all too real.

It’s incredibility hard to tear your eyes away from the screen as you are pulled into this weightless room but if you do, and I highly recommend you try, you will see Leo, played by William Bonnet, actually mastering amazing circus and acrobatic tricks. From handstands, to flips, jumps, tumbles, and more, the ‘real’ world is as much of a surreal take on gravity as the video screen shows. 

Bonnet does an excellent job of holding the audiences attention for the hour-long performance. As Leo’s curiosity leads him to all sorts of playfulness, there are brilliant comedic moments that kept the younger audience members entertained. When Leo realises that his world has taken him hostage, his struggle to escape invokes the darker side of your emotions and you are immediately pulled in to his fight for freedom. Such a complex range of reactions to this isolating situation is enough to keep even the most Adelaide Fringe goer entertained as we often look to find something new in amongst the diverse range of circus show available. 

Leo takes on his world (and his briefcase) with such bravery and clever dexterity. A well choreographed show, that is smooth in its technical production (projections, animation, lighting and music) too.

If you’re looking for a unique gem that is ground breaking, impressively simple, innovative AND that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then Leo is for you.