Review by Emily Smith
There are many circus shows where strong men do incredible stunts, but not all of them are The Circus Show you will be telling your children and grandchildren (once they’ve grown up a bit) about. GODZ by the Head First Acrobats is That Show: no matter your opinion on circus shows or your sexuality I promise you won’t regret seeing it.
I think it’s clear that I love this show, having seen it two years in a row at Perth’s FRINGE Festival, and seeing it a second time only made the jokes funnier and the feats of strength more impressive. The Greek gods Apollo, Dionysus, Cupid, and Hercules wowed us in The Vault with their gravity-defying stunts and muscular bodies in suitably revealing togas and sandals (which don’t stay on for long!).
The Head First Acrobats are phenomenal athletes, able to balance on each others’ shoulders or upturned feet with ease, but what makes their performance unforgettable is the humour with which every stunt is performed. They stay in character even while balancing on top of five chairs and a table, Cupid giving serene waves and fluttering his eyelashes at us from twelve feet in the air.
The show roughly follows the story of Hercules, the demi-god partying with his cousins and facing his father’s wrath. On the way there are ladder tricks, the fastest diabolo spinning I’ve ever seen, headstands that defy common sense, and some terrifying and hilarious uses of whips.
The sound and lighting designers are robustly part of the show, bantering with the performers and setting the mood, whether it’s a party scene on Mount Olympus or deep in the Underworld.Â
Do yourself a favour and get tickets to gasp, laugh, and marvel at the Gods of Circus that are the Head First Acrobats.
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