Elixir Revived

What happens when you leave four grown men alone with experimental scientific elixirs designed to enhance performance? You get chaos, excitement, but most of all, you get fun!

The Head First Acrobat team are well known for their entertaining and skilful productions, and Elixir Revived is no exception! I have seen this production before, but the guys have refined it, making it bigger and better than ever.

After flashing red lights and alert signals, the show starts with a zombie breakout, setting the stage for four eccentric scientists working for an unknown pharmaceutical company. They’re testing an experimental elixir on themselves, and each experiment gives them amazing new powers including, trapeze, ladder work, knife throwing, aerial straps, breakdance, springboard and more!

Each scientist or victim takes a special potion or elixir before each act giving them superhuman powers and pushing their physicality to the limits.

What makes this show stand out from other circus skill productions is the guys’ ability to engage the audience singly or as a group. They have a real warmth that is contagious and are not afraid to laugh at themselves or the comic situations they place themselves in.

The team consists of –

Cal Harris, the compere of sorts and the master of ladder balancing. As a bonus, he also has a powerful singing voice.

Thomas Gorham, a breakdance and handstand master, who also has amazingly trained ‘pecs’, to the delight of the audience.

Liam Dummer, an accomplished straps artist, acrobat, and creative tumbler. His ability to use the straps to tie his body into artistic shapes is incredible.

Lastly Anthony Saltalamacchia, a natural comedian and knife thrower, including some knife work with Dummer in front of a board as a target. Anthony has a dry sense of humour and instantly connects with the crowd.

I particularly enjoyed; the ‘Thriller’ section with some of the original choreography, the level of strength required for some of the balancing acts, the aerial work culminating in Liam Drummer spinning at the rate of knots suspended by a mouthpiece, and Cal Harris’s faux ‘urination’ scene which saw the front row of the audience caught in the stray shower.

I also loved the moment when something clearly happened that wasn’t planned and Cal could not stop laughing while creating drum beats with his mike. It is moments like these that keep the show fresh.

The Head First Acrobats have a range of many shows. I have seen Railed, Godz, Crème de la Creme and while some of the content is similar, it is the interaction between the boys and with the audience that makes the production work. They are talented acrobats, comedians and certainly deliver in the ab department.

Elixir Revived is a fast paced sixty minutes of mirth, mayhem, skill, and most of all fun and a great night at the Fringe!

Barry Hill OAM

Photographer: Jason Matz

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