Circa’s Peepshow @ Opera House

Circa’s Peepshow

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

February 7, 2021

Taking elements from the realms of circus burlesque and cabaret, the Australian circus company Circa has refined its own idiosyncratic melange of acrobatic feats with a twist since its inception in 2004.

Split into two acts with an interval and based on the underlying concepts of temptation, glamour and voyeurism, Circa’s Peepshow is a tour de force of classy contemporary cabaret with equal parts of clowning, aerial feats (with especially the slower male performances being interestingly reminiscent of Francis Bacon paintings), ballet and traditional circus skills peppered in.  Despite the show’s title, the show is firmly grounded on storytelling instead of relying on gimmicky displays of nudity.

Serenaded by a well-curated score comprised of classic songs, orchestral arrangements and accompanying bass centric beats, the protagonists journey of self-discovery and sensual rituals are set in scene in an alluring manner, which serves as the melodramatic foundation for the individual acts expressing themselves through their scantily clad bodies.

After Circa’s fantastic, more philosophically minded Humans 2.0 incarnation as part of the recent Sydney Festival, Peepshow showcases the versatility of the troupe the playful, glittery  and cheeky facets of Director Yaron Lifschlitz and his ensemble.

Summa summarum, Circa’s Peepshow is an eighty minute long celebration of concise, charming sensual and dazzling variety that could have not asked for a better stage than the Drama Theatre of the Sydney Opera House.