The Blue Show

Lively, engaging, tawdry and raucous, The Blue Show is a joyous and refreshing offering for Midsummer Festival from Circus Oz.

The Melba Spiegeltent, a wooden structure with myriads of mirrors, stain-glass windows and colour changing fabric is a whimsical venue well suited to this intimate performance. The ambience exudes history, humanity and the spice of an exotic hint of gypsy. 

One can enjoy settling in, with a ‘reasonably priced’ drink, to watch the circus folk get about their business and listen to the inane banter of the young couple ‘Babe’ and ‘Babe’ as they affectionately call each other. This duo of clowns, played by Jeremy Davies and Flip Kammerer, evoke perplexed laughter throughout the evening as they display unsettling all-too-real behaviour - she as a pregnant, cooler drinking, control-freak and he as an endearing, none-to-bright, highly manipulated boyfriend. 

Following an introduction to a running gag, with an apple, fast paced feats commence with ‘gasp worthy’ Chinese pole work by Mason West, followed by gutsy ribbon work by (pregnant?) ‘Babe’.  Things really hot up with a series of group balance and juggling sessions – very satisfying!

Some performers strip down a bit, some strip down a lot. Cabaret artist Sarah Ward displays much of 

her beautiful, youthful voluptuous figure and sings like an angel and Celene Dion.

The fast moving succession of routines engage, delight, amuse and thrill, in, what appears to be, a very risky proximity to the audience.  Some notions inspire curiosity like the linking of a dildo, Rubik’s cube and mousetraps, the fettishising of bubble wrap and a message about the evils of greed. Other acts, like the foot-work, juggling and table balancing of Hazel Bock, display great skill.

All is underscored with fabulous live music from Carl Ploke, Ania Reynolds, Bec Matthews, with the help of Michael Ling, and, at one point the whole cast in a cacophonous little number.

Under the generous and lyrical direction of Anni Davey, The Blue Show is a delightful circus treat for big kids. Not surprisingly some performances are already booked out.

Suzanne Sandow