El Bizarro @ The Gold Digger (for Fringe)
Friday, February 16, 2018
Not for the faint of heart, the queasy or the prudish, El Bizarro once again delivered the goods at FRINGE WORLD 2018 with a carefully curated collection of the finest freaks and weirdos on offer. The show comes with disclaimers and content warnings for good reason – they’ve already had an audience member be overcome and faint this season. If you’re averse to blood and flesh piercing, or nude flesh and cursing, this probably isn’t the show for you, but consider the glove thrown down before you and the challenge issued daring you to attend. This is Fringe at its finest, and it is deliciously offensive in the most delightful of ways.
Hosted by then incomparable Magnus Danger Magnus, there is a sense of mischief from the outset. The warm honey of this honey’s voice will make the threats of oncoming freakishness seem like more of a beckon, as he holds the audience in his gloved hand and helps them through the pathway of perverted delights.
Karl Kayoss (reigning Mr Boylesque WA), is a heavenly angel of death with legs for weeks as he doesn’t so much enter the Gold Digger as stalk it seductively. He slowly strips back layers of stunning costuming, leaping his lithe form across the stage in a stunning display of acrobatics and gender confusion. Is it circus, burlesque or stag drag? Who cares? It’s mind blowing what his body can do.
Watching avant-garde burlesque queen Vivian Marlowe grow as a performer over the years has been an absolute treat and an honour, and she has reached a pinnacle with this performance that is exciting to see. Presenting the ultimate monster mash, Marlowe writhes into your hearts as her Muppet reminiscent costume literally regurgitates the standard burly fare before your eyes, in her own personal fist-pumping revolution against the norm.
This is where the real joy of El Bizarro lies – it is not merely a safe space for the weirdos of the performance world. It actively encourages the beautiful people to unleash their inner monsters in the ultimate act of self-expression and freedom, and it is tantalising to witness.
Sadly, Canadian Damien Kenny’s run has ended with El Bizarro as fresh blood comes in this week, but boy, what a time he was. Old school back alley freak show at its finest, his glorious showmanship as he impaled his body with giant needles through his arm and a sword pierced his face left more than a few pale, nauseated and sickened. It was utterly glorious.
Never to be outdone in the freak stakes, local creeps Circus Carnis once again brought their finest to the El Bizarro stage, with a peculiar brand of dark perversion. In a foot stomping good time their most twisted fantasies came to life before horrified eyes. Dressed in flawless latex costuming, some pieces of which are her own design as Suzi Homewrecker latex, the Princess of Pain thrilled and chilled as she grabbed at audience’s beating hearts and held them tight in her hands while wrecking their minds. Then the good Reverend Butcher took unabashed delight in disturbing the audience with some seriously brain blasting flesh pulling horror.
NATALIE GILES
EL BIZARRO runs from February 21 – 25 at the Gold Digger. For tickets and more information head to the event page here.
