La Ronde ~ Adelaide Fringe 2026 ~ Review

[Circus, Cabaret – International] La Ronde Aurora Spiegeltent in the Garden of Unearthly Delights Thu 19 Feb The aural assault begins as you enter the Spiegeltent. Designed I guess to get you in the mood for the show to come, and perhaps deaden cognitive capacity, the electronic doof doof music is relentless till La Ronde is over. La Ronde is one of a new breed of circus /cabaret acts that has thrown off the shackles of any past idea of circus and hones in on a form of entertainment that combines dance and acrobatics with salacious sexuality. Soft porn set to global funk. A series of acts feature gorgeous perfectly toned bodies that stretch, twist and spin on ropes, poles, frames, and ladders before us on a small round stage. Most performers seemed to feel it necessary to take some of their clothes off during their acts to increase the degree of titillation. While not denying the skills and talents of these marvellous acrobatic endeavours – it’s taken years of training – the range of acts on show was a little limited. An exception was the resident clown or jester who showed off some unique juggling techniques, and a bizarre bag of tricks featuring axes, balls, apples, balloons, and cans and was able to quickly establish rapport with his audience participants. He provided some good laughs. The song and dance routines felt a bit like fillers and were marred by a poorly mixed and distorted sound. There were some endearing characters among the cast, and some dazzling feats of physical strength and beauty, but Le Ronde lacks nuance and variety. And a tip:  it might be better to sit towards the back – it will save you having to frequently crane your neck upwards. 3.5 stars Michael Coghlan La Ronde continues at the Aurora Spiegeltent in the Garden of Unearthly Delights at various times until Sunday, March 22nd. Purchase tickets HERE. #TheClothesline