Peepshow

Circa Contemporary Circus have become a phenomenon since being first established in 2004, having toured the world and performed in over 40 countries to over one million people. Peepshow, their latest show, premiered in Lismore in March 2018 and has since toured regionally across Australia and throughout Europe including London, Berlin and France and comes to Brisbane for the first time after performances in Austria and the Netherlands.

Like most of their shows, it mixes dance, theatre and circus, but is mainly an exercise in the physicality of acrobatics. Seven talented performers go through their paces of balancing precariously on each other, performing difficult aerial moves using a rope and swathes of curtain, plus tumbling and trapeze. Tying themselves in knots, doing the splits mid-air, and other feats of physical endurance permeate the performance, whilst one of the performers does impossible things with hula hoops.

The word peepshow conjures up a voyeur looking through a keyhole at something raunchy, but there’s nothing raunchy about this performance save for some semi-naked bodies doing an amusing red gloves hands routine worthy of the Black Theatre of Prague.

Libby McDonald’s costumes for the boys and the girls are bright and spangly, the soundtrack covers everything from Gypsy’s “Let Me Entertain You” to the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams”, whilst Jason Organ and Richard Clarke’s lighting added a dynamic presence.

Peepshow doesn’t push the boundaries or extend the art-form, but it is highly skilled and enjoyable.

Peter Pinne