EL BIZARRO
Lunar Big Top at The Pleasure Gardens for Fringe World
Friday, February 3, 2017
El Bizarro is a solid local favourite each year, and continues to deliver the best of Fringe in one captivating, shocking, adults-only line up of the greatest collection of weirdos from around the globe. If you like it loud, confronting, and sexy as heck, this is the show to indulge your deepest, darkest Fringe fantasies.
Magnus Danger Magnus is the compere beyond compare (sorry, I had to!). Opening the show surrounded by fire-wielding beauties, he sets the tone of what is to come and carries it throughout with wit, high jinks and a twinkle in his mischievous eyes. He seamlessly ties together a thematically coherent, beautifully constructed show with his trademark velvety voice and a firm hold on the audience’s balls in his teeth. When opening night faltered somewhat during scene changes, he picked it up and carried it like the consummate carny professional he consistently proves himself to be.
It’s a rollicking ride through all the greatest elements of the darkest side of sideshow, circus and cabaret. The acts commence with Fox Chase and his twisted contortion of both body and face, wearing little more than his wee pants as he writhes about for our pleasure. Followed by the stellar bella of burlesque, Bettie Bombshell wiggled and shimmied into the next act, dripping sensuality all about the Big Top to the point we need a mop. And that’s before she even wielded her bull whip and cracked it dexterously, as it echoed right into our nethers.
Perth pint sized favourite Vivian Marlowe never fails to deliver her own unique twist on burlesque, and delivered some rock and roll magic in sheer bell bottoms and fur, inviting us all to join her as Children of the Revolution – thank you, don’t mind if we do. Missa Blue followed in all her stunning, feathered glory, wowing with feats of hard core sword swallowing that would make the hardest man at Connections crumble.
But the consummate stars of the show, as always, are those phenomenally twisted, freaks of hedonistic, artistically stylised perversion, Circus Carnis. I won’t ruin it, but there’s blood – enough to induce their lauded fainter in the audience. They are nothing short of dark-soul-food. A delicious, delectable feast of blood, gore and glamour that will make you marvel and leave you speechless. Utilising Perth legends The Bible Bashers as the soundtrack is a stroke of magnificent genius, and a very welcome nod to other local talent. The Princess of Pain is perfection, her husband Reverend Butcher is a wizard, ‘Arry, with both of them twisting your brain into Avada Kedavra proportions.
The show closed with Hana Priest, wrangling fire, twirling it and sitting upon it. Every moment is full of wide eyed wonder. Even the stage kittens have fun as they work, interacting with Magnus as he teases them, becoming part of the show where normally that job is quiet and carried out in the background. This is a tight knit family, and the love shines through in every magnificent moment.
El Bizarro is eye candy for the dark soul, and tastes as good as it reads on the menu. Come, feast!
El Bizarro runs at 11:15pm on Friday and Saturday only until February 18, at the Lunar Big Top, The Pleasure Gardens.
NATALIE GILES
