Photo Kitty Lane.
From the outset Uncovered’s seams were visible. An audience member plucked from the crowd was clearly no amateur and when he stripped down to bejazzelled underwear and braces, his athleticism was far superior to his dramaturgy. But this ‘Nelson’s’ exuberant acrobatics were impressive indeed and even though he collected a few of the hoops as he flew and contorted through them, these minor errors were water off a ducks back. This was to be the theme of the evening: high quality acrobatics from ​skilled circus performers whose mastery of their bodies didn’t quite extend to the narrative or sensuality. It’s easily forgiven because as promised, they were happy to play and not take themselves too seriously.
Set in a cabaret, the production’s circus elements really were impressive but they stood out as individual components of each scene rather than integrated elements. Even the best aerials like the hoop duet in the show’s latter stages felt like they were separate pieces assembled well after they had been finalised in their own right. There was some sublime physicality which left little doubt about the ability of the performers but it was the time in between that they were found wanting. There is also something to be said for reviving the nostalgia of pop songs past but I’m not sure ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ as a samba number quite works – and it wasn’t the only one.
The promise of a “journey of one man over three nights as his greatest dreams, fears and desires are brought to reality by the denizens of this unique establishment” never quite came to fruition. Uncovered was a celebration of sexuality in that it showed sexuality, but skin and simulation are not what sensuality is all about. There needs to be a little mystery, provocation and subtlety and while there is something to be said for just throwing one’s physical sexuality out there, it can’t be the only ploy. Having seen this mastered by the likes of Finucane and Smith, sexuality that doesn’t take you somewhere private, shock, thrill or render its subject vulnerable, remains light entertainment.
Uncovered is just that. The performers have fun with themselves and the audience. They leave all self-consciousness in the wings and proudly parade their art, their mischievousness and their courage. Mistress Lola does some things that I have never seen before, and bringing circus into the red glow of seedy hedonism is a journey worth continuing, but at some point it needs to leave the nightclub for the theatre.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Uncovered
Dave Coombs: Director, Roue Cyr
Alex Jean: aerial silks
Mark Graham handstands and aerial hoop
Emily Gare: MC, dance, trapeze, whips
Nelson Smyles: clown and hoop diving
Presented by After Dark Theatre
Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park
27 – 30 January
Midsummer Festival​
midsumma.org.au
17 January – 7 February
