Circus Alfonse – Animal: Live Music, Brilliant Acrobatics And Hilarious Farm Antics ~ Adelaide Fringe 2024 Review

[CIRCUS/Comedy ~ CAN ~ AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE]

The Roundhouse at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Sun 10 Mar, 2024.

Bringing live animals all the way from Canada would be ridiculous, and anyway, these are not your usual circus animals. Instead Cirque Alfonse (BARBU, Tabarnak) treat us to their country’s version of Old McDonald and his whole farmyard of fun. There’s no need for glitz or sequins here, or in this case, no need to put lipstick on the pigs. Large or small, the menagerie of livestock is secondary to the excellent skills on display.

Everything in the barn is brought out and thrown into the fray, to create a fabulous feast of delightful entertainment. There’s a tractor of course, and a full-size tractor tyre to play with. Pitchforks are pitched high into the air; full milk buckets get the full twirling treatment, and those huge metal milk cans become stepping stones for some of the scenes, to lift them all to a new level. An hilarious juggling routine with real eggs and three jugglers attempting to copy each other is pure comic genius. And you may have herd of cowbells? No bull, these must be the biggest, the most massive bells you could imagine, tossed about in a danger-defying stunt show.

In true family circus tradition they take multiple roles, some doubling up to add a brass section to the tight trio of keyboards, strings and percussion. It’s great to hear live music throughout, with plenty of superb vocal arrangements. The show is studded with what I take to be traditional folk songs – my French is not good enough to follow them, and there’s no subtitles. But the high energy carries the flawless flow, a seamless series of amazing acts.

The finale has to be seen to be believed: acrobats leaping onto the back of a bucking bull to perform in 3D continuous motion. This is definitely a family show for all ages, a spectacle richly deserving its standing ovation. The classic circus skills combined with a unique, humorous theme provide a tour de force, and I don’t use the term lightly, or because that’s the limit of my French vocabulary.

5 stars

David Cronin

Cirque Alfonse – Animal continues at The Roundhouse at The Garden of Unearthly Delights from 6.45pm until Sun 17 Mar.
Book at FringeTIX and adelaidefringe.com.au Click HERE to purchase your tickets.

#ClotheslineMag
#ADLfringe

[CIRCUS/Comedy ~ CAN ~ AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE] The Roundhouse at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Sun 10 Mar, 2024. Bringing live animals all the way from Canada would be ridiculous, and anyway, these are not your usual circus animals. Instead Cirque Alfonse (BARBU, Tabarnak) treat us to their country’s version of Old McDonald and his whole farmyard of fun. There’s no need for glitz or sequins here, or in this case, no need to put lipstick on the pigs. Large or small, the menagerie of livestock is secondary to the excellent skills on display. Everything in the barn is brought out and thrown into the fray, to create a fabulous feast of delightful entertainment. There’s a tractor of course, and a full-size tractor tyre to play with. Pitchforks are pitched high into the air; full milk buckets get the full twirling treatment, and those huge metal milk cans become stepping stones for some of the scenes, to lift them all to a new level. An hilarious juggling routine with real eggs and three jugglers attempting to copy each other is pure comic genius. And you may have herd of cowbells? No bull, these must be the biggest, the most massive bells you could imagine, tossed about in a danger-defying stunt show. In true family circus tradition they take multiple roles, some doubling up to add a brass section to the tight trio of keyboards, strings and percussion. It’s great to hear live music throughout, with plenty of superb vocal arrangements. The show is studded with what I take to be traditional folk songs - my French is not good enough to follow them, and there’s no subtitles. But the high energy carries the flawless flow, a seamless series of amazing acts. The finale has to be seen to be believed: acrobats leaping onto the back of a bucking bull to perform in 3D continuous motion. This is definitely a family show for all ages, a spectacle richly deserving its standing ovation. The classic circus skills combined with a unique, humorous theme provide a tour de force, and I don’t use the term lightly, or because that’s the limit of my French vocabulary. 5 stars David Cronin Cirque Alfonse - Animal continues at The Roundhouse at The Garden of Unearthly Delights from 6.45pm until Sun 17 Mar. Book at FringeTIX and adelaidefringe.com.au Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ClotheslineMag #ADLfringe

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David Cronin

A family show for all ages, a spectacle richly deserving its standing ovation. A tour de force of classic circus skills combined with a unique, humorous theme.

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