My first trip to the Spiegeltent was completely by accident. I was having dinner nearby in Brisbane when someone came into the restaurant offering free tickets to Blanc de Blanc. With nothing else planned, why not?
I absolutely loved it. Since then, I’ve been back for La Ronde and most recently Loca Vida in Newcastle, and while all three shows have been different, the formula is pretty hard to beat.
Think circus meets cabaret, with comedy, music, incredible acrobatics, plenty of skin and the occasional moment where you’re not quite sure where to look. It can get a little raunchy, but mostly it’s just good fun.
Then there are the performers. Nothing makes you question your own fitness quite like sitting there with a drink watching ridiculously hot people bend, balance, hang and throw themselves around in ways the human body surely wasn’t designed for. Just when you think you’ve seen the cleverest act of the night, someone else comes out and does something even more ridiculous.
Yes, there are plenty of dirty jokes and moments designed to make you blush, but some of the humour is surprisingly clever. The performers are brilliant at working the crowd, playing off each other and turning audience interactions into some of the funniest parts of the night.
One of the reasons I’ve happily gone back three times is that the performers and acts change. There’s a familiar mix of circus, comedy and cabaret, but each production brings its own theme, performers and surprises, so it doesn’t feel like you’re paying to see the same show again.
The tent itself is a big part of the experience. With mirrors, velvet booths and the stage right in the middle of everything, it’s intimate enough that you feel like you’re part of the show.
Sometimes a little too much. Loca Vida had more audience interaction than I personally would have preferred, and at one point I ended up quite wet.
They splashed water. Stop whatever you’re thinking.
Being so close to the action also means there’s really nowhere for the performers to hide. You can see just how difficult some of what they’re doing actually is, which makes the acrobatics even more impressive.
The pace is absolutely relentless. Apart from one short interval to top up your drink or dash to the loo, there’s barely a moment to catch your breath. Performers appear from every direction, sometimes with several things happening at once, and you end up looking like a bobblehead trying to take it all in.
Spiegeltent makes for a great night out no matter who you drag along. Go for date night, grab a booth with a bunch of friends, take your workmates or hell, take your granny. Though depending on your granny, you might want to warn her there’ll be a fair bit of flesh on display. Then again, she might enjoy it more than you do.
You don’t need to be a theatre person to enjoy it either. Even if cabaret or circus wouldn’t normally be your thing, this might just change your mind.
Strut & Fret, the company behind Blanc de Blanc, La Ronde and Loca Vida, takes its Spiegeltent productions around Australia and the seasons tend to stick around for a few weeks rather than one night. Current and upcoming Spiegeltent stops include Townsville, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin. Strut & Fret also has shows running from its permanent venues in Brisbane and Sydney.
So if one hasn’t landed near you yet, sign up for the updates and wait your turn to step inside. Just be prepared for anything.
