Paris Underground

Paris Underground
Red Bennies, South Yarra. 6 September – 27 October 2014

The promotional materials say the show will have magic, circus, burlesque, cabaret and dance – a heady mix and all of this was delivered. The performers, Julia Madotti, Richard Vegas, Nick Simpson Deeks, Eden Read, Hannah Trott, Betty Blood and Pippy Scream, Zelia Rose and guest Mimi La Noir all demonstrated high level skills.

The MC, Richard Vegas as Monsieur Marveaux, tried hard to engage the audience with charm and humour, as did the performers, but they were up against three bars, uncomfortable seating, cleverly chosen but overly loud music and shouted conversations. Despite a good mix of acts, fabulous costumes and competent lighting, they mostly didn’t win.

Unfortunately, there was a lack of that elusive quality that is the combination of focus and zing. The overall management of the show was very slow and every act was overly self- conscious and careful. The wonderful tap dancers were checking where they were on the smallish stage and kept getting out of sync, the magic was slow and the tricks too obvious, the strippers lacked conviction of the power of the uncovered female body and their acts were tentative and repetitious, except Celia Rose who was completely convincing. Mimi La Noir barred her all on the aerial ring but didn’t last the distance and fell on her dismount. Some of this may settle with time and more performances.

A show like this can no longer rely on the shock of the naked. With the common, casual presentation of naked female bodies, burlesque has to work a lot harder to interest, let alone engage or excite an audience. To achieve that performers may need to reclaim its origins which were humourous, subversive and steeped in an understanding of the power of transgression.

Ironically, it was the male tap dancer who dropped his trousers to support his ‘money in the hat’ sequence who came closest to the uncomfortable power of the original.

Ruth Richter

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