Review: Sinsuality: Heaven & Hell at The Rechabite
Sinsuality: Heaven & Hell at The Rechabite
Sunday, January 29, 2023
9/10
The enticing worlds of good and evil, piety and temptation collide in this spectacular showcase of circus, burlesque and drag. Sinsuality: Heaven & Hell concluded another successful run in The Rechabite on Sunday, to a packed house, and a more than enthusiastic audience.
Another successful installation in the beloved Perth Fringe ‘Sinsuality’ series, produced by Drag superstar BarbieQ, and premier circus company Kinetic, Heaven & Hell led audiences into an afterlife teeming with delectable miscreants, and debaucherous deeds.
Seasoned Drag Diva BarbieQ led the outrageous team of burlesque, aerial, contortion, dance, pole and drag performers through acts inspired by the seven sins, enthralling audiences with her fabulously shocking language, and dangerously sharp wit.
The ever-elegant Sarah Ritchie stunned in a masterful silks routine, before later taking to the stage with a back-breaking display of contortion and flexibility while Burlesque powerhouse Sugar du Joure was a glamorous dream in her heavenly take on ‘greed,’ bringing her enviable ability to combine the humorous with the downright sexy.
Karl Kayoss and Ruby Lai delivered a breathtaking duet as divine embodiments of good and evil, moving together on suspended poles over the crowds in heart-stopping feats of flexibility, strength and, most impressively, trust in each other, as they executed seemingly gravity defying moments that defied belief.
Aerial king and Mx Burlesque WA Matthew Pope drove the audience to delirium with his signature style of outrageous and unbelievable performance art, combining a flawless, hell-inspired tease, with an awe-inspiring lyra routine. The cast also came together in moments of tantalising dance and orgiastic intimacy, in a particularly enthusiastic take on ‘lust,’ which sent audiences in voyeuristic frenzy.
The costuming and design of this show was an epic feat of latex and rhinestoning, and deserved commendation in and of itself, as performers were exquisite in extravagant in their costumes and convincing as the divine, celestial beings they embodied in the show.
The execution of the piece itself was flawless; the transitions between routines were smooth and engaging (aided by BarbieQ’s immensely amusing commentary and crowd interactions), and the routines themselves were polished and performed to perfection.
While the 2023 season is sadly concluded, audiences should keep an eye out for next iteration of this notorious Fringe staple (with the theme being cheekily announced by BarbieQ, and soon to be made public), which is guaranteed to thrill and delight (and maybe tempt towards a little sin..!).
BEC WELDON