La Ronde

La Ronde is the most unique display of circus skills I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a few! Upon entering, our eyes are drawn to an immense mirror ball lit in red, hovering over a circular stage lined with mirrors. Lights are flashing, music is throbbing, and we know we are in for something special.

Featuring acts from all over the world La Ronde stands out because it combines cheeky cabaret with high level circus skills and clever audience participation.

It features singing, rap dancing, balancing, vertical pole work, handstand, ladder balancing, aerial straps and a most unusual form of trapeze.

Highlights for me include a male performer who can juggle ping pong balls from his mouth. In fact, in an audience participation section, he bounces two ping pong balls onto a pair of goggles worn by an audience member, all to the tune of the ‘Blue Danube’. It is a feat that must be seen to be believed.

There is also a male vertical pole performer whose speed is unlike anything seen before. His agility on the pole, spinning and contorting metres above our heads is poetry in motion, a truly gifted performer!

While we are up in the air, the female performer on the aerial rope not only gives us one ‘death drop’, she gives us three, all the while twisting her body into amazing shapes. She is literally the Queen of the aerial rope!

Just when we think we have seen everything, a cheeky male handstand performer amazes us with his five-branched handstand routine, effortlessly balancing on one hand with his body horizontal, all while removing articles of clothing. Not only that, he ‘hops’ from branch to branch using just his hands. He also performs on the balancing ladder, body glistening with the sweat involved to stay balanced, and then proceeds to set the bottom of the ladder on fire while continuing to maintain his balance - impressive and highly dangerous.

Linking the acts, and a presence in her own right, a chanteuse in a stunning collection of gowns and an enormous afro, serenades us as a welcome oasis in an incredibly fast paced show. She finishes the show singing and riding the mirror ball.

Other acts include a square shaped trapeze, aerial straps (which are anchored to the floor), and a wonderful audience participation section involving an audience member who throws apples to the performer who catches them on a spiked helmet, and then later a spiked codpiece.

La Ronde from the creators of Blanc de Blanc and Limbo are to be congratulated for bringing one of the most amazing spectacles I have seen at the Fringe, fast paced, exciting and a joy to watch. It is theatre extraordinaire and not to be missed!

Barry Hill OAM