There’s a huge queue outside the Paradiso Spiegeltent. It’s been there every night of the Fringe Festival, and now I’m waiting in it. The excitement is palpable: nearly all of us have been told by a friend that Limbo is not to be missed. As I pack myself into the wooden chair behind a pole (we were late to join the queue), my neighbour makes room for me and reminds me of the edict on the show’s flyer. ‘Forget everything you’ve ever known,’ she says ominously. I’m not sure what to expect, but I smile uncertainly anyway.
The uncertainty doesn’t last long. The marching band, led by a ringmaster with vocal talents to rival Michael Winslow’s, immediately sets the tone for the evening: there’s beatboxing, a raucous harmonica melody and the hugest tuba I’ve ever seen. Limbo’s music is flamboyant and intoxicating, playing with genres ranging from bluegrass and zydeco to something that resembles the Beastie Boys. During the opening number, the audience is told that the show we’re about to see will happen not only in front of us, but above us and around us as well. It’s at about this point that my eyes widen like saucers and they stay that way pretty much until we walk out.
Presented by Fringe Festival favourites Strut & Fret Production House (Cantina, The Tom Tom Crew, The LoveBirds), Limbo is a mixture of circus, physical theatre, cabaret, dance and farce. Such shows are a dime a dozen at Adelaide’s Fringe seasons of late: countless efforts to shock and enthrall us, to show us something we haven’t yet seen. Limbo shows us acts of physical defiance so bawdy and effortless that they alone are worth the high-end ticket price and the endless queue, but that’s not why this show has already achieved a cult status among this year’s Fringe-goers.
The cast of Limbo are as loveable as they are impressive (not to mention enviably toned), performing such heartfelt characterisations that I can’t be sure it was an act at all. The performers’ lust, camaraderie and sheer, unadulterated joy are catapulted to new heights (that’s a pun, you’ll know it when you see it) by the boisterous clamour of the band and the encompassing nature of the acts, which were – as promised – above and around us almost all the time. Limbo’s energy was fierce, contagious and liberating. As an added bonus, my quippy neighbour provided a running commentary with inane comments like ‘that’s got to be an illusion’ or ‘he must be wearing really stretchy pants!’. Bless.
To quote my friends who went before me, don’t miss Limbo. The show is premiering here at the Garden of Unearthly Delights before heading off to a five-month season in London, where I’m sure it will continue to delight and astonish audiences. This is a circus a cut above the rest, revelling in the element of surprise. Set perfectly in the Spiegeltent, reeking of old-world atmosphere and sparkling chutzpah, each exhilarating act was more unexpected than the last. I won’t ruin this by telling you what happened. You’ll have to see for yourself.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
Limbo
Presented by Strut & Fret, Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre
Paradiso Spiegeltent, The Garden of Unearthly Delights
15 February – 17 March
Adelaide Fringe Festival
www.adelaidefringe.com.au
15 February – 17 March
