By Peter Maddern
Velvet is the latest headline circus act to inhabit the Spiegeltent at The Garden. Like its forebears, it mixes the usual elements of handstands, acrobatics and hoops.
Where Velvet takes its audience in a different direction is with the use of music. Powered by a dude upstairs wearing headphones that look like they may have been designed by Damien Hirst (and later a similarly composed mask), Velvet draws heavily on pulsating 70’s disco to deliver its punch. From La Belle through to the Bee Gees we go back, with a haunting Donna Summer I Feel Love still ringing in my ears hours after the show ended.
Added to this is a welcome string of songs from Marcia Hines, all very apt given the recent TV series about Molly Meldrum. Looking a little rigid but still possessed of her distinctive vocals, Hines delighted whether in gold or purple, solo or serenading one of the other cast members.
While the first 30 minutes were stunning entertainment, the reduced use of circus from there on turned the show into more of a sing-a-long than physical theatre. For ten minutes it went kind of weird – a form of Studio 54 in the Spiegeltent – before the kink was ironed out somewhat for the finale.
As always, The Garden producers have delivered a great show and patrons attending wont begrudge the high ticket price, though they may need to advise the baby sitter the show will finish a lot late than advertised.
Kryztoff Rating 4K
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