“Phenomenal. Breathtaking.”
Alethea Mouhtouris
4 Stars
Venue: Sydney Opera House (Studio)
Sydney
Dates: 24 July – 13 September
Phenomenal. Breathtaking. For 75 minutes the performers of Velvet Inferno kept audience members on the edge of their seats with pulsing dance anthems and mind-boggling acrobatics.
Set in the intimate space of the Studio and led by the divine Marcia Hines, the show is the third in the ‘Velvet’ circus-cabaret series. It draws inspiration from Studio 54, the infamous New York nightclub which featured wild cabaret acts and attracted a celebrity guest list.
Opening with Relight My Fire, the show burst through song after song – It’s Raining Men, Fantasy, I’m So Excited, Don’t Leave Me This Way, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), and Disco Inferno – with audience members bopping in their seats and mouthing the words.
As The Diva, Marcia Hines was as incredible as ever – her voice was deep and powerful and she commanded the stage at every point. Her duet with KYE brought goosebumps. KYE has a rich voice and a formidable stage presence. Her version of I’m Every Woman was magic.
Country Mike (Brendan Maclean) was effervescent – he was light, colour, and energy. There was joy and passion in his expressions as he sang to various audience members, who were delighted by the attention. The most poignant moment was Maclean’s stripped-back
rendition of Stayin’ Alive. Armed only with a ukelele, Maclean sang this number with poignancy and a raw sweetness, transforming it from a lively disco tune into a heartbreaking ballad that kept audience members spellbound. The words “Life goin’ nowhere/Somebody help me, yeah” express a very different message when sung gently, quietly, with such clarity and depth of emotion.
Sirens Emma Feliciano and Mateja Sardelis – who looked so alike there was a debate about whether they were sisters – were superb in both supporting Hines and KYE, and performing on their own. Excellent casting.
On the circus side, the aerialists performed feats that brought audible gasps from the audience. Ukrainians Duo Stardust (Yevhenii and Vlada) – on roller skates – spun in tight circles and lifted into the air, with only physics and incredible strength keeping them in place. Zoë Marshall stunned the audience with her incredible hair hang – literally hanging from her hair while twisting, turning, and swinging her body above the audience’s heads.
Oleg Tartarynov dominated on the flying pole with strength and control, and his incredible abs left one audience member lamenting “I knew I should have gone to the gym this morning”.
Last but definitely not least, Hula Boy (Craig Reid) exemplified old school entertainment, performing with such delight that he created magic. From seemingly impossible on-stage costume changes – sheer wizardry – to feats with a stack of hula hoops, Reid brought the
fun and frivolity.
The lighting was loud and fabulous. Designer Matt Marshall excelled in bringing colour and life to the small space.
Choreographer Amy Campbell delivered movement across three key areas – the top ‘DJ’ area, the thrust stage, and the floor – evoking the hectic jam-packed feel of the orginal Studio 54, adapted to the Studio’s smaller footprint. Rather than rigid concert-like choreography, Campbell reflected the loose, at times fever-like, nature of nightclub dancing.
Cast members also moved through the audience to continue sharing the moment and to serve a purpose – capturing a tossed item of clothing, for example. This rotation through different zones also solved a structural challenge: giving all ten cast members roughly equal
stage time. As director Ilott said, “We’ve always thought of Velvet being a nightclub but more than that, it’s also a state of mind” – and Campbell’s choreography was where that idea became physical, with the cast moving as a nightclub crowd would, rather than a chorus line.
The costumes were loud and vibrant – there was gold lame, phoenix-coloured feathers, sequins of gold, red, and silver – all highlighting the vibrant nature of the show. Naturally Hines looked magnificent in everything she wore. Kudos to costume designer James Browne. On the down side, the show was let down by overly loud music, which drowned out the singers in many numbers. Given the quality of those voices, it was a shame to miss out on the full offer.
The end was a little unclear too – the show fizzled out with audience members unsure whether to remain for an encore, so eventually people just filed out of the theatre. While the storyline was unclear, no one seemed to care – true to Ilott’s ‘state of mind’ framing, Velvet Inferno was never trying to tell a story so much as create an atmosphere, and on that score, the magic lay in the performances, music, and aerial feats. The audience left the show smiling and laughing, and – actually – could you ask for better endorsement than that?
Images: Ken Leanfore
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
