By Daniel Rutledge
New Zealand’s finest circus talent performing on a rotating central stage was one of the naughtiest, weirdest and most entertaining events I’ve been to in quite some time.
Revolver is not for prudes – there’s a fair amount of nudity and adult content involved. Catholics may also be highly offended by a version of the 'Hail Mary' prayer that is definitely not sanctioned by the Vatican.
Highlights of the first hour included trapeze and Tissu routines, along with some wonderfully bizarre singing segments. There was something to enjoy about every segment, but some were vastly superior to others. Host Magenta Diamond also provided a few Jim Rose-style thrills.
Although there were some fantastic moments in the first half, the second half of the show was much more exciting. There was a sense of real danger, a feeling that things could go wrong and people could get hurt… because things did go wrong and people did get hurt.
Nobody was injured – there were no performers falling and breaking limbs or anything like that. A stray hula hoop flying into an audience member’s face caused a bit of panic, but everyone was alright. But that, coupled with a few mistakes in an earlier juggler’s act, meant the next segment – which involved whips – carried with it a sweaty-palmed excitement akin to riding a roller coaster in Mexico. I loved it.
The crowd participation was also ramped up in the second half, with mixed results. The crowd was a blend of your average awkward Kiwis who hate nothing more than being on-stage, people who looked and acted as though they always wanted to be in a circus but never quite made it, and drunken idiots. Members of all three groups were represented on-stage, adding another unpredictable and hilarious element to the show.
My favourite act was the Cyr wheel piece, which is basically a big wheel that a man gets inside and does amazing tricks with. It was performed on a very small stage for such a routine and was jaw-dropping, made even more entertaining through wonderful costume and stage effect choices.
The final act was also a brilliant and intense aerial performance that kicked things up a notch in more way than one. I don’t want to give away how, but it was a very thrilling closer that I enjoyed thoroughly.
I have to give a shout out to the night’s music too. Airbourne’s ‘Diamond in the Rough’ was thrashed loads of times, but the majority of the music was very cool and sounded great over the speaker system they had. There was a piece of early ‘80s-eque sci-fi synth music played in the Cyr wheel segment that was truly fantastic.
It’s nice to see the Comedy Festival mixing up the variety of shows offered and Revolver is certainly one of the more unique experiences on this year’s programme.
For more information visit the New Zealand Comedy Festival official website.
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