FRINGE 2016: Papillon – 5K

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By Amy Nancarrow

Having been fortunate enough to see a few physical theatre and circus shows at this year’s Fringe, I thought I’d already seen the best of the bunch – until Papillon, a combination of theatre, circus, cabaret, and comedy, made me laugh, gasp, and look on at these talented performances in awe.

Set in Gluttony’s gorgeous Octagon tent, Papillon is an entertaining, irreverent hour and fifteen minutes of circus gold. Complete with trapeze artists, acrobats, balance artists, jugglers, glass-walking, and talented musicians, Papillon’s quick paced sets and gasp-inducing tricks held the audience’s attention throughout the whole show.

With spectacularly funny emcees El and Idris (who steal the show with their juggling act finale) and the acrobatic troupe are incredibly talented, and great performers. With the promise of half-naked acrobats (the audience ooh-ed and ah-ed at that one), El and Idris had the audience eating out of the palms of their hands, and encouraged everyone to cheer, clap, and get involved. The short performances ensure that none of the material becomes tired or rehashed, and a variety of different types of performances keep the show fresh and the pace moving swiftly along.

Papillon includes fantastic performances by Minnie Andrews, a petite girl with a powerhouse voice. Belting out great covers of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes and “Creep” by Radiohead, Minnie adds a cabaret twist and looks like she does it effortlessly. Most of these performances provide the background music to the acrobatics, which add another layer to the physical performances, and vice versa.

Be warned, Papillon is not for kids – cursing and nudity are involved – but if you can stand use of the “b-word, p-word, f-word and c-word”, you’ll love this late-night show.

Kryztoff rating: 5K

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