It is good to interact and engage with any performance, exhibition or display you go to , but at times you'd rather crawl under the table that be picked as an audience participant. I went along of my own will to 1001 Knights, another show as part of The Auckland Fringe Festival yet Iwalked into the Gelatos with no idea what to expect. Right from when I set foot in the door, I was surprised. It was a small theater with seats around tables rather than in rows and it was evident that there would be plenty of interaction between the performers and the audience. The program boasted an upcoming Slave Auction at some point during the show with user instructions on caring for said slaves, helpful information such as that they .were safe for use around pets and small children but it was not recommended that you do not iron them. I was quick to make sure I was flanked on both sides by two people.
From beginning to end, the peformers were all alive, vibrant and dynamic. In the small space, there was always action and movement, never a passive character. They took you on a journey through the Bazaar of Bizarre Temptations (there is a reason this show only started at 9:30pm!) in a display of acrobatics, dancing, sword fighting and a string of particularly bad pirate jokes. For a cast of about 20, they managed to pull of a wide array of characters and settings aided by stunning costumes rich in colour and well thought out to reflect the character archetypes. Huge respect for some of the pirate girls who managed to dance in stiletto heeled boots!
The acrobatics were perhaps a little shaking but to say that every performer had heart would be an understatement. They used the space well, moving off the stage into the audiences' space and did in fact auction off two slaves while donating two others for use as canvasses to be painted during intermission. The entire show conlcuded with a humorous twist and the entire cast coming into the audiences space and managed to get most of the crowd up and dancing with them.
Okay, perhaps I am a little biased as I am friends with most of the performers which is mostly why I went along in the first place, not really one for the burlesque and riske style of entertainment. This is the part where I would try read some deeper meaning or message into the performance but on this rare occassion, I can't find one. It was light hearted and humourous, deeming no joke as inappropriate, shamelesly suggestive and unsubtle, with some plot which got swept up in an all dancing "experience of savage beauty." I enjoyed this show and like most of the audience, was captivated by the graceful and mesmerizing movements of the bellydancers at the end.
Not however something you'd go see with your parents.
From beginning to end, the peformers were all alive, vibrant and dynamic. In the small space, there was always action and movement, never a passive character. They took you on a journey through the Bazaar of Bizarre Temptations (there is a reason this show only started at 9:30pm!) in a display of acrobatics, dancing, sword fighting and a string of particularly bad pirate jokes. For a cast of about 20, they managed to pull of a wide array of characters and settings aided by stunning costumes rich in colour and well thought out to reflect the character archetypes. Huge respect for some of the pirate girls who managed to dance in stiletto heeled boots!
The acrobatics were perhaps a little shaking but to say that every performer had heart would be an understatement. They used the space well, moving off the stage into the audiences' space and did in fact auction off two slaves while donating two others for use as canvasses to be painted during intermission. The entire show conlcuded with a humorous twist and the entire cast coming into the audiences space and managed to get most of the crowd up and dancing with them.
Okay, perhaps I am a little biased as I am friends with most of the performers which is mostly why I went along in the first place, not really one for the burlesque and riske style of entertainment. This is the part where I would try read some deeper meaning or message into the performance but on this rare occassion, I can't find one. It was light hearted and humourous, deeming no joke as inappropriate, shamelesly suggestive and unsubtle, with some plot which got swept up in an all dancing "experience of savage beauty." I enjoyed this show and like most of the audience, was captivated by the graceful and mesmerizing movements of the bellydancers at the end.
Not however something you'd go see with your parents.
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