Limbo – The Return is one of those shows where genres are blurred. Is it theatre? It’s certainly theatrical, although there’s no narrative to speak of. A cabaret show? It bears many of the hallmarks, although there’s no MC. Vaudeville? Sure, it shares its “variety entertainment” and comedic aspects, but that moniker doesn’t quite fit either.
So, what exactly is Limbo – The Return? The best answer is perhaps another question: when a show is this spectacular and enjoyable, does it even matter?
With its roots in Strut & Fret’s Limbo (first staged at the 2013 Adelaide Fringe) and the subsequent Blanc de Blanc (which sold out the Grand Electric last year), expectations for this show are high. They are also met: this show delivers. Relentlessly entertaining from start to finish, this is edge-of-your-seat stuff.
Gravity-defying aerial performances? Check. Spectacular fire-eating sequences? Sure thing. Bodily contortions that test the limits of human movement? You bet.
Standouts acts include David Marco’s slack rope number, where his manoeuvres seem to defy the laws of physics. His quadruple slack rope stunt is a heart-in-mouth moment.
We’ve all seen fire-eating, but Strut & Fret takes things to the next level. Not content with the usual fire-swallowing tricks, singer/dancer/fire artist Clara Fable covers her body with fuel-infused foam and sets it alight. A shocking spectacle of self-immolation ensues, the auditorium suddenly full of flames and a strong smell of burnt paraffin.
Another spectacular sequence sees three of the performers scale tall, bendable poles and literally bend and sway into the audience, scattering (ethically sourced) feathers as they go. Every person in the theatre gets covered in plumage.
A sense of being part of the show – and of accompanying danger (even if illusory) – is a thrilling aspect of Limbo – The Return. Audience members rear back when they feel the heat of the fire; they shield their eyes during a segment involving laser lights and mirrors; they shudder at the crack of whips expertly wielded by the performers. (Depending on where they’re sitting, they even feel the breeze of the whip when it cracks right next to their head.)
Read: Music review: Kirill Gerstein, Melbourne Recital Centre
They not only hear the booming music, they feel it in their guts. (It’s worth repeating creative director Scott Maidment’s description of the show’s soundtrack here: ‘A New Orleans brass band meets the Beastie Boys on the way through Berlin, looking for a house party.’)
During one of the rope tricks, the rope is even fed into the audience, snaking its way through the aisles between patrons.
Taking its cues from strip clubs, drag shows, dungeons and fetish parties, Limbo – The Return is aesthetically engrossing, all fishnets and feathers, boots and bustiers, whips and chains. Perhaps the aesthetics lean a little heavily on stereotypes – but when it looks so good, who even cares?
This 100-minute show is spectacular, interactive entertainment. Quite simply, if you have a pulse, you’re bound to leave the theatre feeling exhilarated.
Limbo – The Return
By Strut & Fret
Creative Director: Scott Maidment
Original Music Composer: Sxip Shirey
Performers: Grant Arthur, Mikael Bres, Hilton Denis, Clara Fable, Ben Loader, David Marco, Maria Moncheva, Sxip Shirey and Mick Stuart
Tickets: $59.70-$155.77
Limbo – The Return will be performed until 18 August 2024 at The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern.
