Le Aerial @ Apollo Theatre at Convention Centre, Adelaide 3/3/2018
I walked into the theatre with high expectations based on promotional images I had seen, and the title of the show. Walking into the theatre, there was a gorgeous, classic looking women in a sparkly bikini sitting on a suspended swing, looking like something out a classic 1950s movie. I was ready for this show to begin.
The emcee for the show was Mark, looking like an old school 50s show host. While Mark does a service by introducing each of the performers so you know who you are watching, his singing to accompany the performances are distracting, at times in juxtaposition and seem a little self-indulgent.
The performers themselves, all local performers, are skilled and perform gymnastic and acrobatics at great heights, while wearing dazzling costumes. Most of the performance is in the air and with no safety net for slip ups, requires a lot of confidence, skill and supported by an attentive fly crew.
Alex with her two routines, one using a suspended pole, the other using a net were stand-out performances. Her stage presence, ability to keep momentum within her routine and keep audience attention stood out.
While the performances showed a lot of mastery of skill, for me, they involved a lot of moments of space, where nothing was really happening and the transition between acts at times didn’t seem to flow effortlessly. The final act of the show seemed to be tacked on, and I would have preferred for the show to have finished on a high, with the duo that were on prior.
The bit that annoyed me the most about the show was the encouragement for audience members to actively take their own photos and videos throughout the duration of the show. While I understand and appreciate the power of social media for promotional purposes, constantly having audience members on their phones and holding them up obstructing my view, was quite distracting and annoying so I was unable to fully enjoy the show.
I believe with some refinement of timing, understanding how to build momentum and anticipation within a show – these performers would be given the platform to really shine.
Fringe Review by Ilona Schultz